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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25010500">Feelings I Can't Fight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/puck1919/pseuds/puck1919'>puck1919</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Take On Me [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, First Crush, Fluff and Angst, Funsos Funzone, Gosalyn Starling - Freeform, Gyro Gearloose is former FOWL, Love Potion/Spell, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:35:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25010500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/puck1919/pseuds/puck1919</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Justice Ducks are investigating a magical jewel thief who calls herself the Scarlet Macaw. Drake and Fenton struggle at the start of their wedding planning. Magica accosts Lena with warnings about certain doom as a total solar eclipse draws near.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Donald Duck &amp; Lena (Disney: DuckTales), Drake Mallard &amp; Gosalyn Mallard, Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera &amp; Gyro Gearloose, Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera/Drake Mallard, Lena &amp; Magica de Spell, Lena (Disney: DuckTales)/Gosalyn Mallard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Take On Me [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688977</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. With My Jaw On the Floor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Throw on your clothes the second side of Surfer Rosa<br/>And you leave me with my jaw on the floor"<br/>— OK GO, "Here It Goes Again"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>Friday Night: 6 Days Remain </em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The quiet night was interrupted by alarms at the Duckburg Museum of Antiquities. A figure dropped into the museum from the skylight. A guard approached her. </p><p>“Hey, you’re not supposed to—”</p><p>She waved a hand in front of the guards face and he dropped to the floor, instantly asleep. She walked straight to the display case for the Duke of Doveshire Emerald. </p><p>“Far too easy,” she said. </p><p>A smoke bomb dropped and went off at her feet. She backed up, coughing.</p><p>“I am the terror that flaps in the night.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Oh, <em> wonderful</em>.” </p><p>“I am the flaw in the diamond of crime.”</p><p>The smoke cleared and Darkwing and Gizmoduck stood between her and the gem. </p><p>“I am Darkwing Duck!”</p><p>“I see the Justice Ducks have sent their best and brightest,” the woman said.</p><p>“Well, that covers me,” Darkwing said, “but Gizmoduck is here too, y’know.”</p><p>Gizmoduck groaned. “Gee, thanks, Wingsy.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, you are..?” the woman asked, gesturing to Darkwing. He deflated and Gizmoduck chuckled.</p><p>“And who might you be, miss?” Gizmoduck asked.</p><p>The woman drew herself to her full and not inconsiderable height. She was a green duck with dark hair, but wore a dark red jumpsuit with a high collar under a bright red skirt and high-heeled boots. Her scalloped cape was blue, with a yellow lining. She wore a ruby pendant that hung low on her neck.</p><p>“You can call me Scarlet,” she smiled.</p><p>She waved her hand and a shockwave of magic sent them flying. Darkwing got to his feet first. She moved quickly, almost teleporting across the room. She grabbed the gem and then appeared in front of Darkwing, lifting him off the floor with one hand.</p><p>“Wingsy, was it?” she asked. “How adorable, you and your little cape.”</p><p>“All part of the show,” Darkwing said. </p><p>“I, too, have a certain flair for the dramatic,” she said, pulling him close. “I appreciate that in a man...”</p><p>Gizmoduck’s arm shot out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her away with Darkwing.</p><p>“Sorry, lady,” Gizmoduck said. “But you’re barking up the <em> wrong </em> tree.”</p><p>She smiled and seemed to melt away. Gizmoduck’s arm dropped to the floor and he retracted it. </p><p>“Where’d she go?” he asked.</p><p>“Let’s see...” Darkwing dropped a few smoke bombs. As the smoke filled the room, Gizmoduck scanned for disruptions in the dispersal.</p><p>“Found her.”</p><p>He shot a pie out of his chest and her silhouette appeared under the meringue.</p><p>“Clever boys...” she said. She threw off the invisibility spell and blasted them with another concussive spell. She brought her arms up and the smoke gathered around her. Darkwing ran at her, falling through the smoke as it dissipated. She was gone.</p><p>“What <em> was </em> that?” Fenton asked, raising his visor.</p><p>“Magic,” Drake said, brushing himself off. He shook his head. “Come on, we need to head back to HQ.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“They’re calling her the Scarlet Macaw.”</p><p>Fenton, Launchpad, Della, Donald, and Drake sat around the conference table in the center of the Justice Duck’s Headquarters. Mrs. Beakley flipped through a series of headlines displayed on the screens up on the wall.</p><p>“It seems she is the thief behind a series of burglaries of famous and expensive jewels,” Mrs. Beakley continued. “Did you bring her signature?”</p><p>“I did,” Drake said, holding up a red tailfeather. </p><p>“She leaves one at every crime scene,” Della said.</p><p>“Do you think it means something?” Drake asked.</p><p>“She’s a thief,” Della said. “Not a serial killer. It seems to be more for attention than anything else.”</p><p>“I didn’t get that,” Drake said. “She’s... there’s something more to this. She’s something else, something we haven’t faced yet.”</p><p>“Should I be nervous?” Fenton asked, half-joking.</p><p>“Babe, I’m serious,” Drake said. “It’s just this gut feeling, there’s <em> more </em> to this.”</p><p>“What makes you say that?” Donald asked.</p><p>“Well, the gems haven’t shown up yet,” Drake said. “There’s <em> nothing </em> about them on the Black Market, and people are looking.”</p><p>“And how would <em> you </em> know that, exactly?” Mrs. Beakley asked.</p><p>Drake shrugged. “I was in jail for a minute. I made friends.”</p><p>“Well, sure,” Launchpad said. “I make friends everywhere. I’m everybody’s friend.”</p><p>“Not what I meant,” Drake said.</p><p>“So, why wouldn’t she sell them?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Drake said. “Then again, I’m not a magic user.”</p><p>“You think this is a spell?” Della asked.</p><p>“I mean, how many gemstones of unimaginable power has your uncle come across?” Drake said. “I have to remake the damn ‘don’t touch the cursed jewel collection’ video every time one of them does something <em> new </em> . It’s almost as long as <em> Ben-Hur </em>...”</p><p>“What’s <em> Ben-Hur</em>?” Launchpad asked.</p><p>“What you’re going to watch next time you’re at the apartment,” Drake said. “So with Scarlet—”</p><p>“Oh, she’s <em> Scarlet </em> now?” Fenton asked, grinning.</p><p>“Way too gay to dignify that with a comment,” Drake said. “What could she do with these stones?”</p><p>“Not much,” Donald said. “While they’re impressively sized for jewelry, they’re not exactly large enough to contain much magic. On top of that, they’ve been cut, polished, some of them set... All of those could reduce the potential for spells and curses.”</p><p>“So, by gathering a lot of them, she could do a lot of small things, or one really big one,” Fenton said.</p><p>They all looked at Fenton and he held up his hands.</p><p>“Hey, I know I’m the science guy, but even magic has to have some form of the Conservation of Energy,” Fenton said. “Right?”</p><p>“Maybe not <em> right</em>, but not entirely <em> wrong </em> either,” Donald said. “Trust me when I say that magic users can always find ways to surprise you.”</p><p>“That is true,” Mrs. Beakley said. “But I don’t think we can accomplish anything more tonight. Fenton, Drake, thank you for your efforts tonight.”</p><p>“It’s right there...” Drake muttered. “It’s right in front of me...”</p><p>Fenton gently pulled at his arm. “Come on, babe, you gotta get home.”</p><p>“I’ve almost got it, Fen,” he said. “I’m almost there.”</p><p>“Drake,” Fenton said. “We’ve got to pick up Gosalyn from M’ma’s and you have that meeting in the morning.”</p><p>“What?” Drake said. “Oh, right, the vendor...”</p><p>“Yeah,” Fenton said. </p><p>“All right,” Drake said, standing up. “Just... just give me one second.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Drake went over to Della.</p><p>“Hey,” he said. “It’s you and Launchpad tomorrow night, yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she said. “What do you need?”</p><p>“Let me go instead,” Drake said.</p><p>“Sorry?”</p><p>“Take the night off,” Drake said. “Launchpad works better with me, anyways.”</p><p>She shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”</p><p>“Thanks.” He started to walk away.</p><p>“Hey,” she said.</p><p>He looked back.</p><p>“You’ll be okay when I tell you if you’ve gone too far, right?” Della asked.</p><p>“Of course,” he said.</p><p>She nodded. “Okay, then.”</p><p>He joined Fenton and they left together, his arm around Fenton’s shoulders. Della looked away.</p><p>“Okay, then.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're back. ^_^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Magic Sign</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign."<br/>— The Clovers, "Love Potion Number 9"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Saturday Morning: 5 Days Remain </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Drake sat at the desk in his studio office, staring at the red feather Scarlet had left at the crime scene, twirling it in his fingers. Something about this case stuck like a burr in his mind after he had finally met the Scarlet Macaw. It was the woman that he couldn’t get out of his head, which was probably the first time he’d ever had that particular problem. The way she used magic... she was obviously far more advanced than the kids were. Popping in and out of existence, the invisibility— her strength, even. She had lifted him like he was nothing. Not even Launchpad could do that.</p><p>A knock on his door brought him back to where he was.</p><p>“Come in.”</p><p>The woman who opened the door was a full-figured duck with dark hair. Drake could see where she tried to hide the price tags on the suit she was wearing and there was tape on a few of her fingertips where he figured she’d been biting her nails. Drake gave her a warm smile and shook her hand. </p><p>“You must be Morgan McCaw,” he said. “Please, sit.”</p><p>She sat in the chair on the other side of his desk, one hand fidgeting with a ruby pendant.</p><p>“Thank you for coming in on a Saturday,” Drake said, sitting down.</p><p>“It’s not a problem at all, Mr. Mallard,” Morgan said, smiling. “Being in catering, I work a lot of weekends and evenings and other odd times.”</p><p>“I’m sure,” Drake said. “And, please, it’s Drake.”</p><p>“Okay,” she said, nodding.</p><p>“We work fairly regular office hours normally,” Drake said. “Cast and Crew unions and everything, but next week is Strike Week and the crew like having a little time to prep.”</p><p>“Sorry, strike week?” she asked.</p><p>Drake paused. “Right, no, it’s not like that. It’s... taking down sets, maintenance work on lights and equipment and stuff. Basically every two months everyone else gets a week off while the crew gets to fix everything they’ve been complaining about for the past seven weeks.”</p><p>Drake laughed and Morgan grinned and nodded, brushing a stray hair back. </p><p>“Right, sure,” she said. </p><p>“Right,” Drake said. “So, I’ve read your proposal...”</p><p>He looked on his desk for the packet and the red feather caught his eye.</p><p>
  <em> She’s got to be hiding somewhere all that magic wouldn’t be noticed... </em>
</p><p>“What is that for?” Morgan asked.</p><p>He blinked and the feather was in his hand.</p><p>“Sorry,” Drake said. “It’s an old prop.”</p><p>He shook his head and put the feather aside, picking up the packet.</p><p>“Your proposal is <em> incredibly </em> thorough,” he said. “<em>Very </em>impressive. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”</p><p>“Sure, go ahead,” she said.</p><p>“You seem fairly established in catering, why branch out into craft services?” he asked.</p><p>“Oh, well, in the past three years that McCaw Catering has been in business, we’ve had good word of mouth and that has led to reliable business,” she said. “Branching out to corporate services allows for more opportunities for repeat customers.”</p><p>“Weddings and conferences are ‘one-and-done’ but this would be a steady gig,” Drake said. “I’m an artist, I get it, this is <em> way </em> more reliable than my other— well, my last job.”</p><p>She exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Right.”</p><p>“Overall, this is pretty much exactly what Mr. McDuck looks for in vendors,” Drake said. “I’ll need some time to confirm things with the money— trust me, you do <em> not </em> want me handling money stuff— but I should be able to give you something by, let’s say, a week from Monday at the earliest?”</p><p>“O-okay,” she said.</p><p>Drake paused. “Morgan, you got the job.”</p><p>“Oh!” she said. “Right, of course! Thank you, Mr. Mallard.”</p><p>She shook his hand.</p><p>“It’s still Drake,” he said. “It’ll be nice to work with you.”</p><p>She left and his attention went right back to the feather on his desk. Or, no... it was in his hand again. Or maybe he hadn’t put it down? He couldn’t remember, which just sealed his concern. </p><p>“What is <em> wrong </em> with me?” he muttered.</p><p>“Yeah, she was cute.”</p><p>Drake’s production manager, Sam, leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms. </p><p>Drake laughed, putting the feather down. “Not walking into that one again.”</p><p>“Right, the whole ‘engaged’ thing,” she said.</p><p>“Yeah, and the whole ‘gay’ thing?” Drake said. “So what do you need?”</p><p>“Nothing, actually,” Sam said. “We’re all set for Monday. You’re off the hook.”</p><p>“Excellent,” Drake said, standing up. “I mean, of course, you’ll let me know if there’s anything you need.”</p><p>“Of course,” Sam said. “Hey, what’s the feather for?”</p><p>Drake looked down and the feather was in his hand again.</p><p>“Nothing,” Drake said. “It’s nothing, just... just something I found.”</p><p>Sam shrugged. “Okay. See you.”</p><p>“Later,” Drake said, still looking at the feather. He sighed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Lena sat at their table in Funso's, counting her tickets. Webby and Gosalyn were over in the ball pit and Violet was giving Dewey a run for his money at ‘Uke or Puke’. A shadow came up from behind her and Lena sighed.</p><p>“Hello, Aunt Magica.”</p><p>“Lena.” </p><p>The hand on her shoulder was surprisingly gentle. Lena looked up and Magica looked <em> terrified</em>.</p><p>“Lena,” Magica said. “You have to get out of Duckburg. You and your friends.”</p><p>“What?” Lena said. “What are you talking about?”</p><p>“He’s coming here,” Magica said. “He may be here already. You have to leave, or he will destroy you.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Lena said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll get <em> right </em> on that.”</p><p>“Insolent child!” Magica’s grip tightened. “You <em> must </em> listen to me, this could be your doom!”</p><p>“Get off me!” Lena said, slapping Magica’s hand away.</p><p>Magica was suddenly pelted with playpen balls. Gosalyn and Webby ran over to stand between Lena and Magica. </p><p>“Get away from her!” Webby said.</p><p>“You will all perish,” Magica said, “in the demise that is waiting for you at the hour of the eclipse. Heed my warning; it will spell the end of magic in Duckburg!”</p><p>Magica threw a smoke bomb to the floor and ran off to the staff break room. Gosalyn turned back to Lena.</p><p>“Are you okay?” she asked.</p><p>“I’m fine, Gos,” Lena said. “Any idea what that was about?”</p><p>“There<em> is </em> an eclipse next Thursday,” Webby said. “Do you think she’s planning something?”</p><p>“I...” Lena paused. “I’m not sure. Can you look into it?”</p><p>“Sure, but what are you going to do?” Webby asked.</p><p>“There’s a magic user that’s been stealing gemstones,” Lena said. “You guys do read the news, right?”</p><p>“What does that have to do with Magica?” Gosalyn asked.</p><p>“Not sure yet,” Lena said.</p><p>“We should head to the library,” Webby said. “Did she say anything else?”</p><p>“Just vague warnings,” Lena said. “She... she seemed <em> scared</em>.”</p><p>The three paused.</p><p>“What could be so powerful that it would scare <em> Magica de Spell</em>?” Webby asked.</p><p>“I’m not sure it’s a what,” Lena said. “I think it’s a who.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Between Me and You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"They feel the heat<br/>The heat between me and you"<br/>— Prince, "When Doves Cry"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Saturday Afternoon: 5 Days Remain </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Drake walked into the apartment to see Fenton at the table, looking over a list of something on a notepad and marking things on another, smaller notepad. Drake took the chair next to him. </p><p>“Hey, Fen,” he said. “What are you working on?”</p><p>“I was talking with M’ma this morning,” Fenton said. “She gave me some more names for the guest list.”</p><p>“O-oh,” Drake said, looking away. “Right, yeah...”</p><p>Fenton sighed, not looking up. “Honestly, I don’t even want to invite half these people, but the only times I get to see most of Dad’s family is weddings and funerals, so...”</p><p>Drake paused, looking away. “Sure.”</p><p>“And then there’s M’ma’s Tío Joel, who’s a jackass in a collar,” Fenton muttered, turning over a page on the larger notepad. “But I’m inviting all his siblings, and I actually like my cousins, so—”</p><p>“Then don’t invite him, if you don’t want him there,” Drake said, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>Fenton laughed softly. “If only. But you know it doesn’t work like that.”</p><p>“Oh, I do?” Drake asked, crossing his arms.</p><p>“Sure, we talked about this,” Fenton said, writing on the small notepad. “I can’t invite some people and not others, it’s a ‘categories of people’ thing. Abuelo Cabrera has five siblings, I can’t invite only four of them.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Drake said, getting up.</p><p>Fenton paused. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m fine,” Drake said. “Totally fine.”</p><p>“Really?” Fenton asked. “Cause it sounds like you’re <em> not</em>. Look, I know this whole thing with Scarlet is eating at you but—”</p><p>“It’s <em> not </em> that,” Drake said. “But I guess I just don’t <em> get </em> it.”</p><p>“I’m sorry?” Fenton said.</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay,” Drake said. “You go ahead, it’s your family.”</p><p>“Drake, they’re going to be your family too,” Fenton said. “I know we haven’t had time to meet <em> everybody</em>, but a lot of these people you’re only going to see once every three years or so, and it’s not as important that you know them <em> well</em>—”</p><p>“Well, thank <em> god</em>,” Drake said. “Lord <em> knows </em> I wouldn’t want <em> that</em>.”</p><p>Fenton stood up. “Drake, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing’s <em> wrong</em>,” he sighed. “I’m sure I’m just overreacting.”</p><p>“Overreacting,” Fenton repeated. “Yeah, maybe a little. It’s not that big a deal.”</p><p>“Not a big... it’s our <em> wedding</em>, Fen,” Drake said. “It’s <em> our </em> wedding— and at this point, I don’t care if it’s the two of us and a judge, the only person I <em> need </em> to be there is you!”</p><p>Fenton blinked. “You don’t mean that. And I know you don’t mean that, so why don’t we take a breath and—”</p><p>“Calm down?” Drake asked. “Yeah, <em> that’s </em> gonna happen.”</p><p>Drake stormed out of the apartment, passing Mallory on the way out. She paused in the door.</p><p>“See you later, I guess?” she said.</p><p>Fenton sighed. “Hey, Mallory.”</p><p>“Hey, Fenton,” she said, walking in. “So what happened here?”</p><p>“I honestly have no idea,” he said, walking into the kitchen. “Gosalyn will be back soon, they had to stop at the manor for something.”</p><p>“Sure, sure,” Mallory said, looking at the lists on the table. “So, you’re working on wedding stuff?”</p><p>“Trying to, yeah,” he said, grabbing some cans of Pep out of the fridge. He silently offered her one and she shook her head. “At least until he started yelling.”</p><p>He put the extra can on the counter and went over to the couch.</p><p>“Guest lists are hard,” Mallory said. “It took an astonishing amount of planning to keep my wedding from blowing up. Between tracking down who I could from Dad’s family and Mom hovering over my shoulder...”</p><p>“I know, right?” Fenton muttered.</p><p>“A lot of Mom’s family really hated what Dad did to her,” she said.</p><p>Fenton nodded. “I get that. Pretty sure M’ma would kill Drake if anything like that happened.”</p><p>“And that’s not to mention all of the drama in Jim’s family,” she added.</p><p>Fenton blinked. “Oh?”</p><p>“Give it a second,” she said.</p><p>Fenton sighed. “Oh, <em> shit</em>.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Mallory sat next to him on the couch. </p><p>“Well, do you... is there...” Fenton couldn’t finish the sentence.</p><p>“Who’d want to come?” she asked. “I don’t know. His mother, maybe. If she’s still alive.”</p><p>“Does he know where his mother is?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Mallory said. “She wasn’t around for long, Dad didn’t... it’s complicated. I <em> couldn’t </em> like her, you know? I was a kid. But she was nice to me.”</p><p>“Would he want her there?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“I’m not sure if even he knows,” she said.</p><p>Fenton nodded.</p><p>“But if you wanted to look into it, I’d do what I could to help,” she said.</p><p>He smiled. “Thank you. I... I really should apologize when he gets back.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably,” she said, laughing.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Lena hesitated as she walked into Scrooge’s home office. The last time she tried to ask him for help on a magic thing, it didn’t exactly go well for her. At least this time she didn’t literally have Magica shadowing her. It was just metaphorical this time.</p><p>“Um... Uncle Scrooge?”</p><p>Scrooge looked up from his paper. “Lena. Is something the matter?”</p><p>“Well—” she shut the door behind her “—Magica approached me at Funso’s today.”</p><p>Scrooge stood and walked over to her. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m fine, I just...” She looked away. “She seemed... <em> scared</em>.”</p><p>“Scared? <em> Magica de Spell</em>?” he asked.</p><p>“I just thought you might know something,” Lena said. “Some threat or force or whatever. Vi and Webby are at the library, but not everything is written down, right?”</p><p>“That’s good instincts you have there,” Scrooge said. “There are few things in this world that would scare Magica. I’m sure you can name some.”</p><p>“Sure,” Lena said. “You. Technology. The Macawbers. But not this bad. Not enough that she’d risk warning me.”</p><p>“What exactly was the warning?” Scrooge asked.</p><p>“Something about the eclipse next Thursday and the end of all magic in Duckburg,” Lena said.</p><p>“Sounds serious,” Scrooge said, clasping his hands behind his back. “You know the effects of an eclipse on magic, yes?”</p><p>“It amplifies magical energy,” Lena said. “Makes every spell more powerful. That’s why Magica needed it to break out of the dime.”</p><p>“She used a <em> lunar </em> eclipse,” Scrooge said. “Thursday is a <em> solar </em> eclipse.”</p><p>“The difference being..?” Lena crossed her arms.</p><p>“Well, in one the moon—”</p><p>“No, Violet already explained that,” Lena said. “For magic, I mean.”</p><p>“Okay,” Scrooge said, smirking. “Let’s say a lunar eclipse doubles the power of the average magic user? A solar eclipse increases that power tenfold.”</p><p>“So you’d want to save that for something big,” Lena said.</p><p>“Like ending magic in Duckburg,” Scrooge said.</p><p>“But who would want that?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Ah,” Scrooge said. “Now <em> that </em> is the question.”</p><p>Lena paused. “Yes. Yes, it is, that’s why I’m here.”</p><p>“And I’m not certain I have the answer,” Scrooge said. “There are few people out there who could face Magica at the height of her powers.”</p><p>“Including you,” Lena said. </p><p>“Ah, lass, no,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “As in many things, I am an exception, and it took quite a bit of luck to beat her the first time around.”</p><p>“So we have no idea what’s coming?” Lena said.</p><p>“Not a clue,” Scrooge said, grinning. “But we know when, and we have a good idea as to where, which is more than enough to start planning.”</p><p>Lena nodded. “Okay. Well, I’ll just—”</p><p>“Come with me to the Other Bin,” Scrooge said. “I have something that you might find useful.”</p><p>Lena paused as Scrooge walked to the door.</p><p>“Well?” he said.</p><p>“Oh? Oh!” She nodded. “Right, yes, coming.”</p><p>He opened the door and she smiled to herself. He led her down to the Other Bin.</p><p>“Let’s see,” he muttered. “99, 2000, 2001... ah! 2002.”</p><p>He opened the vault door. On a pedestal in the center of the room was a black staff with a gold head in the shape of wings surrounding two pieces of ruby cut into swirls that looked like a heart. Along the walls of the room were several staffs of varying shapes and sizes. Lena could feel the power as she stepped in the room. Scrooge took the staff off the pedestal and handed it to Lena. There was a hum under her fingers when she touched it. </p><p>“Where did these come from?” she asked.</p><p>“Donald and his friends have had some interesting adventures,” Scrooge said.</p><p>“I didn’t think Jose and Panchito knew any magic,” Lena said.</p><p>“No, not them,” Scrooge said. “You know how to use it?”</p><p>Lena nodded. “Yeah, I do.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Because You're Mine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"I put a spell on you<br/>Because you're mine."<br/>— Screamin' Jay Hawkins, "I Put A Spell On You"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <em> Saturday Evening: 5 Days Remain </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Donald and Della stared at the pile of red feathers on the dining room table. Drake walked into the room, set the bottle on the table, and sat next to Della.</p>
<p>“So, where are we at?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Nowhere,” Della said. “The magic means we can’t track her, and the items are untraceable until they show up on the black market, and they’re not showing up on the black market. She’s not selling them.”</p>
<p>“So why steal them?” Drake asked. “We’ve got a dozen or so famous jewels missing— is the money not the point?”</p>
<p>“Security systems,” Donald said. “Guards, <em> us </em>. This could all be a trial run leading up to something bigger.”</p>
<p>“Bigger...” Della muttered. “What’s the <em> biggest </em> jewel in town?”</p>
<p>“The Jewel of Atlantis,” Donald said. “From the boys’ first adventure. Uncle Scrooge hooked it up in one of his power plants.”</p>
<p>“With a security system,” Della said.</p>
<p>“And guards,” Donald said.</p>
<p>“And us,” Drake finished. “We set a trap.”</p>
<p>“Make her think she can just walk in there,” Della said.</p>
<p>“And then come down hard,” Drake said. “We know she’ll be out tonight, we hook her tomorrow?”</p>
<p>The twins paused. </p>
<p>“Not exactly the resounding endorsement I was looking for,” Drake said. “I get there’s a lot of details, but—”</p>
<p>“You need a night off,” Della said. “When was the last time you got a full 8 hours?”</p>
<p>Drake scoffed. “I’m fine!”</p>
<p>“You’re really not,” Donald said. “Drake, you have three jobs—”</p>
<p>“I have <em> two </em> jobs,” Drake said.</p>
<p>“Being a parent is a job, trust me,” Donald said. “And you only have <em> one </em> kid.”</p>
<p>“What we’re saying is, every once in a while, you need a full night’s sleep,” Della said. “Or everything else is going to suffer.”</p>
<p>“If I remember correctly, I’m not the only one she’s gotten one over on,” Drake said. “You two, Launchpad, Gizmoduck—”</p>
<p>“Okay, getting one over on Launchpad isn’t exactly a grand feat of strategic brilliance,” Della said. “Look, are you sure you’re good for tonight?”</p>
<p>“I’m <em> fine </em>,” Drake insisted. “I... I need to be out of the apartment anyways.”</p>
<p>Donald and Della exchanged a look.</p>
<p>“No, it’s not... everything’s fine,” Drake said. “Just stress about wedding stuff.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Della said. “I <em> can </em> go if you want.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” he said again, standing up. “Besides, I think she likes me.”</p>
<p>He left and Donald turned back to Della.</p>
<p>“I don’t think he’s convinced,” Donald said.</p>
<p>“Of what?” Della asked.</p>
<p>“That he’s fine.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Launchpad looked up at Darkwing from the side car. Drake’s hands were folded under his chin and his shoulders were tense. He glared at the museum across the street from the alley they were hidden in, but didn’t seem to really be looking at it. Neither of them had said a word in over an hour.</p>
<p>Launchpad scratched the back of his neck. “So... how’s wedding planning going?”</p>
<p>Darkwing let out a noise halfway between a sigh and a frustrated groan. Launchpad cringed.</p>
<p>“You know, Mal was telling me that Dad would say to her that whatever money she wanted him to spend on a wedding, he would gladly <em> double </em> if she just got eloped instead,” Drake said. “And, you know, I’m starting to see the logic in that!”</p>
<p>He slumped over the handlebars, letting out a long breath.</p>
<p>“I swear, this wedding is going to kill me,” he muttered. “And here <em> I’d </em> thought we’d already stress-tested our relationship, with, y’know, all the near-death experiences and such.”</p>
<p>“I dunno, DW, maybe—”</p>
<p>“Wait.” Darkwing sat up, looking at the museum. “She’s here.”</p>
<p>Scarlet picked up the Diamond of Mt. Neverrest and turned it over a few times in her hand. </p>
<p>“I’m not letting you walk out of here with that,” said a familiar voice from behind her. She smirked and turned around to see Darkwing standing between her and the exit.</p>
<p>“Oh, darling, you look tense.” She walked over to him and draped an arm on his shoulder. “Hard day at work?”</p>
<p>“You really don’t think you’re getting anywhere with this, do you?” he asked, almost smiling. </p>
<p>“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, tracing the brim of his hat. “I can be <em> very </em> persuasive.”</p>
<p>She lifted up his hat and kissed his forehead, before walking away. He just stood there and crossed his arms, smirking. He started to laugh. She paused and turned around.</p>
<p>“Okay, so what’s the catch?” she asked. “You just said I wasn’t walking out of here with this, aren’t you going to chase me?”</p>
<p>“Just give it a sec,” he said. </p>
<p>There was the sound of glass breaking and Launchpad crashed down on top of her. He looked up.</p>
<p>“Did we stop her?”</p>
<p>“Right on time, LP,” Darkwing said, walking over. Scarlet looked up at him.</p>
<p>“You’re clever,” she said.</p>
<p>“It’s been said,” Darkwing said, taking the diamond back. “Now, are we doing this the easy way, or the hard way?”</p>
<p>She snapped her fingers and vanished. Launchpad fell the last few inches to the floor. </p>
<p>“Okay,” Darkwing said. “The hard way, it is.” </p>
<p>He heard a faint pop behind him and he turned around in time for Scarlet to grab him by the waist and spray something in his face. He coughed, staggering back, and snatched the bottle from her. </p>
<p>“What is this?” he asked. </p>
<p>She stepped forward and took the gem from him. “Oh, I think you’ll find it kicks in rather quickly.”</p>
<p>He could feel his brain going fuzzy and his vision blurred. She bent down and kissed him.</p>
<p>“Until next time, darling,” she whispered, before disappearing with a pop. Launchpad fell over, trying and failing to grab her before she vanished. </p>
<p>Darkwing’s head was swimming and he saw he still had the bottle he’d taken from Scarlet. </p>
<p>“L-Launchpad? I—”</p>
<p>He tried to take a step and immediately blacked out. </p>
<p>He came to on the roof of the museum, to the sound of Fenton’s voice.</p>
<p>“Drake? Drake, babe, I’m right here...”</p>
<p>Drake opened his eyes and saw Fenton kneeling over him. </p>
<p>“Hey,” Fenton said softly.</p>
<p>He felt a rip current grab his leg and drag him under as he pulled Fenton into a deep kiss. His chest was tight and his breathing was shallow and his grip on Fenton was the only thing keeping him from drowning in the wave of thoughts crashing in his mind.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Fenton asked. </p>
<p>“I am now,” he said quietly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Trouble and Pain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Rose tints my world<br/>And keeps me safe from my trouble and pain"<br/>— Rocky Horror Picture Show, "Rose Tint My World"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Saturday Night: 5 Days Remain </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Fenton got to the museum as Launchpad pulled Darkwing’s unconscious body out to the roof through the skylight.</p><p>“What happened?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“He got hit with this,” Launchpad said, showing him what looked like a perfume bottle filled with pink liquid.</p><p>Fenton got out of his armor and knelt down next to Drake.</p><p>“Drake? Drake, babe, I’m right here...”</p><p>Drake stirred, slowly waking up. Drake’s eyes didn’t look focused and he was grasping at Fenton’s shirt like he couldn’t balance on his own. </p><p>“Hey,” Fenton said softly.</p><p>Drake pulled him into a deep, desperate kiss. Fenton broke away, completely shocked. He was out of breath, for one, but he expected Drake to be annoyed at seemingly bailing him out, especially after the fight they’d had. </p><p>“Are you okay?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“I am now,” Drake said quietly.</p><p>Fenton blinked. “Okay, then...”</p><p>He looked up at Launchpad.</p><p>“I’m gonna take him home,” Fenton said. “Make sure Mallory and Gandra get that bottle.”</p><p>“Right,” Launchpad said. “I’ll take care of the Rat Catcher.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Fenton said. </p><p>Fenton peeled Drake off of him to get back into the armor. </p><p>As soon as they got home, Drake dragged him into the bedroom. He grabbed Fenton’s shoulders and pinned him to the wall, kissing him, hard. Drake felt like his head was stuffed with cotton, but he also felt a buzz when Fenton grazed his skin and he didn’t really care what else he was feeling as long as he could keep that going. He moved to Fenton’s neck, kissing, almost <em> biting </em> along his collar bone.</p><p>“Drake,” Fenton said. “Drake, slow down, you... Drake!”</p><p>“What?” </p><p>Drake’s breathing was unsteady, and he leaned against Fenton like he couldn’t stand on his own. Fenton could see a moment of clarity in his eyes. </p><p>“Oh...” Drake said. “Oh, I...”</p><p>Fenton grabbed Drake's collar and pulled him in, kissing back.</p><p>“I don’t mind,” Fenton said. “I thought you were mad at me, though?”</p><p>“This seems more productive,” Drake said. “Sorry for whatever stupid thing I said.”</p><p>“We’ll get into specifics later,” Fenton said, putting his arms around Drake’s shoulders. “Kiss me again.”</p><p>He did, pressing him into the wall. Fenton melted into the kiss, which made some primal thing in Drake’s chest make a growling sound as Drake smiled against Fenton’s beak. Some part of him screamed that he needed to stop and he wasn’t sure why he needed that, but he also wasn’t able to and panic started to rise in his chest. Fenton pushed gently against him, breaking them apart. </p><p>“Drake, are you sure you’re okay?”</p><p>“I... I don’t know,” Drake said. His breathing was ragged and he couldn’t think straight.</p><p>“Maybe we shouldn’t right now, then,” Fenton said slowly.</p><p>Drake nodded, stumbling over to the bed. He deactivated his suit, and collapsed onto the mattress.  Fenton sat next to him. </p><p>“So what happened?” Fenton asked. </p><p>“I’m not sure,” Drake said. “I think I lost.”</p><p>Fenton nodded. “It’s okay, it happens. You’ll get her next time.”</p><p>“Yeah, next time...”</p><p>Every inch of his skin was aching for Fenton to touch him, and he could barely keep it in. Fenton took his hand and he hissed.</p><p>“Are you in pain?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“No,” Drake said. “No, I just need you to touch me and I don’t know why.”</p><p>Fenton blinked. “Maybe you just need some sleep.”</p><p>“Actually,” Drake said, sitting up. “I’m going to take an ice cold shower for 15 minutes, and <em> then </em> I’m going to try and sleep.”</p><p>“All right,” Fenton said. “Just... let me know if you need anything.”</p><p>“Right,” Drake said, heading for the bathroom. </p><p>Fenton sighed, lying down on the bed. He heard a faint buzzing and groaned as he got up to look for his phone. A series of texts from Gyro came flooding in. He sighed again.</p><p>“Babe, I gotta head into the lab,” he called.</p><p>“Okay,” Drake said from the bathroom.</p><p>Fenton threw his armor into its duffel bag and headed out.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Gyro saw Fenton walk into the Money Bin lab, his hair more unkempt than usual, pulling his collar up. He had a device that Fenton had never seen before. A glass orb on a computerized stand that looked very advanced sat on the counter. None of the buttons or lights were on; it didn’t have power.</p><p>“What was so urgent that I needed to come right away?” Fenton asked.</p><p>Gyro looked Fenton over. “Sure you wanna go with that phrasing?”</p><p>Fenton rolled his eyes. “Dr. Gearloose...”</p><p>“Gandra found this in JDI HQ,” Gyro said. “She said since she rarely works on anything larger than a mustard seed, we might have more luck getting it to work. I looked it over and there’s an AI in this thing.”</p><p>“You were able to turn it on?” Fenton asked. </p><p>Gyro raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“<em>Doctor</em>,” Fenton said, emphatically.</p><p>“I got the code off of it,” Gyro said. “Memory, firmware. Barely had enough room on the supercomputer to get it all out. Whoever built this cracked quantum computing back when we were all still amazed with 64-bit graphics.”</p><p>“Incredible,” Fenton said, putting his hand on the glass orb. His collar slipped and Gyro could make out the beginnings of a bruise under the feathers at the base of Fenton’s neck. He reached for it and Fenton grabbed his wrist.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Gyro asked.</p><p>Fenton blinked. “Yeah. I mean, you know, it’s been a rough day, but Drake and I worked it out.”</p><p>“And how does Drake work things out?” Gyro asked.</p><p>Fenton looked confused for a moment. He touched the bruise on his neck and rolled his eyes.</p><p>“It’s not what it... it’s a <em> hickey</em>, Gyro,” Fenton said, pulling his arm away and buttoning the top button on his shirt. His face flushed. “I normally have a little more time to get ready. But thank you for your vote of confidence in my life choices.”</p><p>“You’ve never called me Gyro before,” he said. “You sure everything’s okay?”</p><p>“Yes,” Fenton said. “Well... Drake’s not 100%, he got hit with some... magic concoction that the Scarlet Macaw had that’s making him a little...”</p><p>“Horny?” Gyro offered.</p><p>“Yeah,” Fenton said, his face flushing again. “We’ll figure it out.”</p><p>Gyro nodded. “Gotta be honest, I’m never really sure of what I’m doing when the magic comes out.”</p><p>“I know,” Fenton said. “Makes you feel kinda helpless.”</p><p>“Like you’re tied to the tracks and you can feel the train on its way,” Gyro said.</p><p>Fenton paused. “We experience helplessness very differently, Dr. Gearloose.”</p><p>“You know you <em> can </em> call me Gyro, right?” he said.</p><p>“Yes, sir, Dr. Gearloose,” Fenton said, smirking. “So what’s the plan with the AI?”</p><p>“See what you can do to fix the hardware,” Gyro said. “I’m going to work on a chassy to carry it so that it can be more mobile.”</p><p>“You’re going to pass up a chance to reverse engineer quantum computing?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“If we can’t fix it, we’ll need a place to put the code,” Gyro said. “I’ve seen what it would take to do that, so I can plan ahead. Just make sure you take <em> very </em> thorough notes.”</p><p>Fenton looked at the device and smiled.</p><p>“Thank you,” he said. “Gyro.”</p><p>Gyro adjusted his glasses. “Yeah, no, we’re going back to ‘Dr. Gearloose’.”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” Fenton said.</p><p>Gyro went over to the supercomputer and Fenton got to work on the device. Gyro looked back at his assistant and smiled softly. He shook his head.</p><p>“So,” Gyro said. “You fixed the guest list issues?”</p><p>“Not entirely,” Fenton said. “I still have to work with M’ma on a few things, and... I’ve been quietly wondering if I should invite Drake’s mother.”</p><p>“The bitch who got him arrested?” Gyro asked.</p><p>“No, not María,” Fenton said. “His birth mother.”</p><p>Gyro stopped in his tracks. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”</p><p>“Not entirely,” Fenton said. “I’m still on the fence. Mallory isn’t sure either.”</p><p>“I don’t know if you want to dig much more into Drake’s past than you already have,” Gyro said. “He might not like what you find.”</p><p>“Why, do you know something?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“Just that the Waddlemeyer Ramrod was FOWL’s white whale since long before Drake was born,” Gyro said. “I’m not sure you’d understand how far they’d go to get what they want. I'm not sure I <em>want </em>you to understand.”</p><p>Fenton paused. “You know, you never did tell me what FOWL did to you.”</p><p>“I don’t want to talk about it,” Gyro said.</p><p>“That’s okay,” Fenton said. “Whenever you’re ready.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Supposed to Know</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know<br/>That something wasn't right here?"<br/>— Britney Spears, "...Baby One More Time"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Sunday Afternoon: 4 Days Remain </em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Gandra pulled the printout from the supercomputer.</p><p>“Got your results on the thing,” Gandra said, handing it to Mallory.</p><p>“Is that a technical term?” Mallory asked, taking it. She looked it over and groaned, throwing it in the trash. “This can’t be right. Can we run it again?”</p><p>“This is the third time,” Gandra said. “Either we don’t have what we think we have, or that’s all we’re gonna get.”</p><p>Mallory sighed. “I hate magic.”</p><p>“I hear you,” Gandra said, putting on her headphones. “I’ll be in the armory, the PK suit is ready for its update.”</p><p>She waved at Fenton and Drake as they passed coming in.</p><p>“Mal, I think I’m going crazy,” Drake said.</p><p>“What was your first hint,” Mallory asked, “the cape or the mask?”</p><p>“Hilarious,” Drake said. “Have you figured out what that stuff Scarlet sprayed me with is yet?”</p><p>“Let me get the readouts,” Mallory said. “Don’t... <em> touch </em> anything.”</p><p>“What me?” he asked, leaning on the workbench and knocking several tools to the floor.</p><p>Mallory sighed, walking away. Fenton laughed softly.</p><p>“Are you laughing at me now?” Drake asked, wrapping an arm around Fenton’s waist. “Is this where we are?”</p><p>“You know, some people <em> like </em> it when their partners think they’re funny,” Fenton said.</p><p>Drake wrapped a finger around the knot in Fenton’s tie and pulled, bringing Fenton with it.</p><p>“I can think of better things to do with that mouth,” Drake said, smirking.</p><p>Mallory came back over with a packet of crumpled papers and the bottle. Drake let go of Fenton’s tie, his other hand resting on Fenton’s hip.</p><p>“We weren’t going to find much,” Mallory said. “There are obvious magical properties that our equiptment can’t detect. And what we did find is... not helpful.”</p><p>“So, what is it?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“Water, ethanol, glycerine, and flower nectar,” Mallory said. “It’s perfume, but it’s obviously <em> not </em> perfume, because perfume doesn’t knock you on your ass when you get sprayed with it. Or, at least, it shouldn’t.”</p><p>“There’s got to be more,” Drake said. “Do you know what kind of flower nectar?”</p><p>Mallory cringed. “Pansy.”</p><p>Drake and Fenton looked at each other.</p><p>“...Wonderful,” Drake muttered. “So, I need to talk to Lena and Violet, is what you’re saying.”</p><p>“That would be correct,” Mallory said, handing the results to Drake.</p><p>He looked the results over, letting go of Fenton and walking to the other side of the room.</p><p>“I see you two have made up from that fight yesterday,” Mallory said.</p><p>“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Fenton said.</p><p>“I’m just saying, if you want to use the safety shower, I wouldn’t blame you,” he said.</p><p>“That’s your <em> brother</em>,” Fenton said. “And I don’t think he’s fully in control of himself.”</p><p>“The potion?” Mallory asked.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“This doesn’t make sense,” Drake said. “<em>Viola tricolor</em>, why that flower?” </p><p>“I’d imagine it has some magical properties,” Mallory said. “But since I’m not an expert in magic, I couldn’t tell you what they are.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Drake said. “I think Lena’s at manor working on something with Scrooge.”</p><p>“What’s she working on?” Fenton asked.</p><p>Drake shrugged. “Something to do with Magica and the eclipse on Thursday.”</p><p>Fenton nodded. “Well, Gyro’s gonna want me at the lab.”</p><p>Drake looked up from the pages. “On a Sunday?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s the project from last night,” Fenton said.</p><p>“Right,” Drake said. “The rest of the day?”</p><p>“Yeah, probably,” Fenton said. </p><p>Drake took his waist and pulled him into a deep kiss.</p><p>“Okay then,” Drake said. “Call me when you’re headed home, yeah?”</p><p>“S-sure,” Fenton said.</p><p>Drake grabbed the results and the bottle and headed out. Fenton gripped the edge of a lab bench and exhaled. Mallory smirked. </p><p>“I remember that,” she said.</p><p>Fenton gave her a look and she laughed to herself.</p><p>“There’s just something about Darkwing Duck, you know?” she said.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Drake knocked on the door to Scrooge’s office. His head was a lot clearer when he was away from Fenton, which was extremely worrying and a little sad. The potion in his hand felt warm when he thought about Fenton, too, which was always something you’d want to see in mysterious potions of unknown effects and origins. Lena opened the door and he walked in. Weby and Violet were surrounded by a pile of books and Gosalyn was sitting cross-legged in an armchair, putting fresh tape on her hockey stick..</p><p>“Hey, sweety,” Drake said. “Having fun?”</p><p>Gosalyn nodded. “I’m gonna beat Magica’s brains out with my hockey stick if she touches Lena again.”</p><p>“Cool,” he said. “You let me know how that goes for you.”</p><p>“She really doesn’t need to do that,” Lena said. “I can take care of myself.”</p><p>“People never believe you when you say that,” Drake said. “Trust me, it’s easier to let them help.”</p><p>“Lad,” Scrooge said, walking over. “Something you need?”</p><p>“Actually, I was here to ask Lena and Violet about this,” Drake said, holding up the bottle.</p><p>Lena jumped back about three feet and magically lifted the bottle out of Drake’s hand.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge, this needs to go in the Other Bin, immediately,” Lena said. “Did anyone touch the potion?”</p><p>“I got it in the face last night,” Drake said.</p><p>“And you haven’t <em> exploded </em>?” Lena asked, incredulous.</p><p>“Um... not that I’m aware of,” Drake said. “What is it?”</p><p>“Love-in-idleness,” Violet said, walking over to examine it. “Correct?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena said. </p><p>“It’s one of the most powerful love spells in existence,” Violet said. “<em>The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid / Will make or man or woman madly dote / Upon the next live creature that it sees.</em>”</p><p>“<em>And maidens call it ‘love-in-idleness’</em>,” Drake added. “That stuff is real?”</p><p>“I suppose the better question is, what did you see when ye first woke up?” Scrooge asked.</p><p>“It was...” Drake paused, slowly turning red. “<em>Oh</em>...”</p><p>Drake left, practically running out of the room, his face still red.</p><p>“What was that about?” Lena asked.</p><p>“He got dosed with a love potion and Fenton was the first one he saw when he woke up,” Gosalyn said. </p><p>Scrooge looked over at her. “Not one for subtlety, are ye lass?”</p><p>Gosalyn shrugged. “More of a ‘brute force’ kinda girl.”</p><p>“There’s got to be an antidote,” Webby said. “I mean, unless making the antidote will ruin his relationship with Fenton.”</p><p>“Doubtful,” Violet said. “But I can start on one. I’d just need a pure white pansy.”</p><p>“I got you,” Lena said.</p><p>Scrooge put on a pair of gloves and took the potion. “And I’ll make certain this is in a safe place. Not something we’d want in the wrong hands.”</p><p>“Right,” Lena said.</p><p>Scrooge left with the bottle. Gosalyn went over to Lena, clutching her hockey stick. </p><p>“They’re not going to feel different after this, are they?” Gosalyn asked. </p><p>“I, um...” Lena looked away. “Vi?”</p><p>“They loved each other before this,” Violet said. “They’ll be fine.”</p><p>Gosalyn looked to the ground. “They had a fight yesterday. I know they don’t... not in front of me, but I could see it in Tío Fenton’s face. I just... I just got them, you know?”</p><p>Lena put a hand on Gosalyn’s shoulder. “We’re gonna fix this.”</p><p>Gosalyn nodded.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. My Clarity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?"<br/>— Zedd, "Clarity"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <em> Sunday Evening: 4 Days Remain </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Fenton ran into the apartment. Not seeing Drake in the living room, he went back to the master and found him trying to hide in a pile of pillows and blankets, his hands over his face.</p>
<p>“There’s something wrong with me,” Drake muttered. </p>
<p>“I kinda got that from the ‘911 please come home’ text,” Fenton said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Babe, what happened?”</p>
<p>“I talked to Lena,” Drake said. “She saw the potion and she freaked out. Apparently, it’s... I got sprayed with a love potion.”</p>
<p>“A <em> love </em> potion,” Fenton said. “Wouldn’t that have made you fall in love with Scarlet?”</p>
<p>“Not exactly,” Drake said. “The way this one works is when I got hit, I’d fall in love with the next person I’d see.”</p>
<p>Fenton paused. “Which was me.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Fenton rubbed his temples. “So... so, what does this mean? I mean...”</p>
<p>“I can’t distinguish between what’s me and what’s magic,” Drake said. “I can’t tell you what I want because I want <em> you </em> , but I know something <em> else </em> could be telling me that because I can’t think straight, and I don’t... I don’t want to <em> hurt </em> you because I can’t control myself.”</p>
<p>Fenton saw the pain in Drake’s face as he looked down. He reached out to take his hand, and Drake pulled away.</p>
<p>“Fen, I can’t...”</p>
<p>“Then don’t,” Fenton said. </p>
<p>Drake looked up and Fenton leaned in to kiss him. Drake grabbed the front of Fenton’s shirt and pulled him in, kissing him hard. Fenton’s hands fumbled with the buttons on Drake’s shirt and sunk into the thick layer of feathers on Drake’s chest. </p>
<p>“There’s nothing you can do to hurt me,” Fenton said. “But... I don’t want to hurt you either.”</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t—”</p>
<p>“No, that’s the thing,” Fenton said. “<em>You can’t control yourself</em>. And that makes me the most dangerous thing in this room.”</p>
<p>Drake’s breathing sped up as desperation filled his lungs and tears stung his face. He buried his head in Fenton’s chest and Fenton wrapped his arms around him. </p>
<p>“I’m right here...” Fenton muttered. “I’m right here...”</p>
<p>Drake grasped at Fenton’s shirt, pulling himself close. He could feel Fenton’s heartbeat under the faded scar on his chest. He closed his eyes and sighed. </p>
<p>“I love you,” Fenton said.</p>
<p>Drake looked up at him. Fenton wiped the tears from his face. </p>
<p>“I know,” Drake said. His voice sounded smaller than Fenton had ever heard it.</p>
<p>Fenton kissed the top of his head. “Do you want something to eat? Maybe some water?”</p>
<p>“No,” Drake said. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Fenton said. “How about, then, you take one of those sleep aids you were prescribed that you never use? I think you need some rest.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Drake said. “You, Mallory, Della, Donald...”</p>
<p>“Well, we’re worried about you,” Fenton said. “We’re your family, it’s our job.”</p>
<p>Drake paused. “I never thought I’d get to have a family. Between the foster families, and losing touch with Mal, and coming out, I... I never thought I’d get here.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Fenton said. “It... I completely forgot that the family we share is... That you don’t know your mother’s cousins or your father’s uncles or... anything, really.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, too,” Drake said. “I shouldn’t have blown up. I know that marrying you means being a part of all that.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” Fenton said. “It’s okay...”</p>
<p>Drake breathed deeply, his fist balled up in Fenton’s shirt.</p>
<p>“We’re going to get through this,” Fenton said quietly.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The plant that held the Jewel of Atlantis was on a hill overlooking Duckburg. Donald looked out at the city. Looking at lights in the late evening was one of the few things Donald had missed about being a hero. But the sun always came up in the morning, and the lights went away, and the things that Donald <em> didn’t </em> miss— the soreness, the bruising, the never-ending crusade— those stayed. </p>
<p>The other thing he missed... well, he knew he wasn’t getting Uno back. Donald figured a person like him only got one miracle in their life, and getting Della back was his. Uno knew what he was doing, knew that Donald trusted him, despite everything. Donald wasn’t sure there was anyone outside his family he trusted that much.</p>
<p>The soft <em> clink-clink-clink </em>of metal on concrete brought him back. He looked behind him; Della was pacing around an air vent.</p>
<p>“Patience, Della,” Donald said. </p>
<p>“What if she doesn’t show?” Della asked.</p>
<p>Donald shrugged. “Then we come back tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Della groaned. </p>
<p>“Is what it is,” he said. </p>
<p>“And since when did you know magic?” she asked. </p>
<p>“Remember when Mike got pulled into the shadow realm and Goofy and I had to go and get him?” he asked.</p>
<p>“I remember that he hates it when you call him ‘Mike’,” Della said. She paused, looking away. “How... how much of your life have I missed?”</p>
<p>Donald paused. “I mean... I went to college, you were in flight school. Then you were off with... you know, and I had the PK stuff going on. I... We weren’t around for a while, even before the Spear. And that’s... it happens. We grow up.”</p>
<p>“Huh, yeah,” Della said. </p>
<p>A shower of sparks shot up into the air. </p>
<p>“That’s our cue,” Donald said.</p>
<p>Scarlet approached the machine at the center of the power plant. The Jewel of Atlantis was at the center of it, surrounded by wires. She thought it was such a shame, this ancient, mystical object put to such a mundane task. But what should she expect, the normals were hardly so creative as to recognize the true potential of what they had.</p>
<p>She waved her hand and the wires fell away. The jewel floated out of the machine. It shone with a soft, blue glow. She was kicked over and slid along the floor. She looked up and saw a duck in a suit and sunglasses, with a metal foot. </p>
<p>“Agent 44, I presume,” Scarlet said, standing up. “Should I take this to mean we will not have the pleasure of Darkwing’s company tonight?”</p>
<p>“I’m afraid not,” Della said.</p>
<p>“And you think you can stop me all on your own?” she asked.</p>
<p>A cord shot out and wrapped around Scarlet, binding her arms to her chest. Paperinik stepped forward. </p>
<p>“She’s not alone,” he said. </p>
<p>Scarlet wrapped the cord around her hand and pulled, sending Paperinik skidding across the floor. The cord dropped and she ran towards the jewel. </p>
<p>“Megaflare!”</p>
<p>A wall of pink flame burst up from the floor and she staggered back. Lena stepped through the fire, staff in hand, wearing black robes, covered in straps and pockets, with violet piping.</p>
<p>“Like he said,” Lena smirked, “she’s not alone.”</p>
<p>“I <em> know </em> you,” Scarlet said. “You’re that DeSpell girl.”</p>
<p>“Call me Lena.” </p>
<p>Lena slashed down with the staff, knocking Scarlet back with a blast of magic from her hand. Scarlet regained her footing and blew across her palm, filling the building with smoke. </p>
<p>“Dispel,” Lena said. </p>
<p>The smoke cleared and Scarlet was gone. The Jewel of Atlantis hummed in its spot inside the machinery.</p>
<p>“She’ll try again,” Lena said. </p>
<p>“How did she know you?” Della asked.</p>
<p>Lena shrugged, looking away. “Family resemblance. I get that a lot from... people.”</p>
<p>Donald put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get you home, your dads are probably worried sick.”</p>
<p>Lena smiled. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Medicine and the Pain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"You're the medicine and the pain, the tattoo inside my brain<br/>And, baby, you know it's obvious"<br/>— The Jonas Brothers, "Sucker"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Monday Afternoon: 72 Hours Remain </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Violet spread her supplies out on the lab bench in JDI headquarters. </p><p>“Thank you for allowing me to use your space, Dr. Starling,” she said to Mallory.</p><p>“Oh, it’s no trouble,” Mallory said. “Normally, I’d tell Gyro to suck it up and let you work at the Bin, but Fenton was concerned about some safety hazards with their current project.”</p><p>“I understand,” Violet said. </p><p>“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” Mallory said. </p><p>“Actually,” Violet said. “I was wondering if you could stay and talk about your brother with me? From what I understand of my research, adding an aural element of the person you are intending to cure helps strengthen the magic. Otherwise, it’s just nectar and ethanol.”</p><p>“Um, sure,” Mallory said. “But I don’t really know Drake that well.”</p><p>“You’re his sister, aren’t you?” Violet asked, putting on a pair of goggles. “You must know at least something.”</p><p>“I wasn’t around as much as I should have been,” Mallory said. “As much as I wanted to be. He... he always loved <em> Darkwing Duck </em> , the show. I didn’t know then, when he started watching, just <em> how much </em> it would shape our lives.”</p><p>“You ended up married to the star, and he became Darkwing, you mean,” Violet said, pouring glycerine into a beaker. </p><p>“Yeah,” Mallory said. “He needed someone who could get back up, no matter what. The world really put him through the ringer very early.”</p><p>“I would imagine he had a hard time adjusting to new foster families,” Violet said. “I know Lena had trouble with things like ‘having a curfew’, and ‘vegetables’.”</p><p>Mallory laughed. “Yeah. New house always meant new rules. He tried the first few times. He really did. I don’t know what happened after I left, but from the sounds of it, he only barely made it through high school. And then he dropped out of college sophomore year.”</p><p>“College isn’t for everyone,” Violet said, adding the ethanol and water. “He seems to be doing okay.”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s doing alright,” Mallory said. “I just wish I could have been there, you know? I almost invited him to my wedding.”</p><p>“What happened?” Violet asked.</p><p>“I couldn’t find him,” Mallory said. “I was still in St. Canard, and I guess he’d already moved to Duckburg by then and changed his name. I tried contacting his foster parents, his social worker. He hadn’t kept in touch with any of them.”</p><p>“I see.” Violet put several white pansies in a mortar and started to crush them with the pestle. “And what about now?”</p><p>“Now?” Mallory said. “He’s a fantastic father, really, he’s exactly what Gosalyn needs right now. He has a steady job, seems to get along with his coworkers. And he gets to be Darkwing Duck. That has to make him happy, right?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t know,” Violet said. She added some distilled water and put in a magnetic stirrer before putting the beaker on a hot plate. “But this should be ready in about 10 minutes. You might want to call him over.”</p><p>Drake arrived with Fenton as Violet poured some of the potion into a smaller beaker. </p><p>“So how is this going to work?” Drake asked. “Do I drink it?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Violet said, climbing up onto the lab bench. “The most effective use of an antidote like this would be to apply it in a similar fashion to how the original potion was applied.”</p><p>“Okay, well, I’m sure there’s a spray bottle around here some—”</p><p>Violet dumped the contents of the beaker on Drake’s head, soaking him. Dots danced in his vision and he stumbled backwards. Fenton and Mallory caught him before he fell over. </p><p>“Maybe a little warning next time?” Fenton said.</p><p>Drake’s vision cleared and he steadied himself. He looked at Fenton.</p><p>“Did it work?” Mallory asked. </p><p>“Yeah,” Drake said. “Yeah, it worked. Thanks, Vi.”</p><p>“Not a problem,” Violet said, jumping down from the lab bench.</p><p>“Let’s get home,” Fenton said quietly. “Get you a clean shirt.”</p><p>“Right,” Drake said.</p><p>They left, and Mallory sighed.</p><p>“Well, that’s done,” she said.</p><p>“Right, yeah,” Violet said, clearing off the empty glassware. </p><p>Mallory paused. “It’s done, right?”</p><p>“I’m not sure,” Violet said. “But I do know that we promised Gosalyn that everything would be okay, and I’m not sure that it is.”</p><p>Mallory looked back to the exit.</p><p>“They’re fine,” she said. “...They have to be.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Donald swung the bo staff over Lena’s head and she jumped aside as he brought it down. He changed directions and she parried with her bo staff. </p><p>“Good,” Donald said.</p><p>“I’m not sure I understand these spells,” Lena said, regripping her staff to swing it at his side. He blocked. “I’ve never needed incantations to do magic before.”</p><p>“This is a different way of doing magic,” Donald said. He grabbed her staff and pulled. She stumbled forward. “You have the power, with the staff and incantations to focus your intentions, you can do bigger things.”</p><p>Lena wrenched her staff out of his hands. “How did you learn magic? I thought Scrooge didn’t let that stuff in the mansion before.”</p><p>“I was a bit of a teenage rebel,” Donald said. “And it kinda just... came naturally.”</p><p>He swung his staff over her head. She parried again, then elbowed him in the gut and swept her staff to take out his legs. Donald fell to the ground.</p><p>“Okay, then,” he said. “Let’s take five, I’ll go get some water.”</p><p>“Right,” Lena said, breathing heavily.</p><p>Walking back outside from the kitchen, Donald caught sight of Gosalyn just around the corner, practicing the same moves with her hockey stick that he was showing Lena. She slammed the stick on the ground and gave a small yelp of pain, shaking her hand.</p><p>“You’re holding it too tight,” he said. </p><p>She looked up, gasping. </p><p>He walked over and offered to take her stick. She gave it to him and he handed her the water. </p><p>“It’s the vibrations from hitting the ground,” he said, going through a simple practice pattern. “Because the stick is hollow fiberglass, it travels up much easier. With a looser grip, it doesn’t transfer to your hands. It also lets you change your grip faster, making your movements more fluid.”</p><p>He exchanged the stick back for the water. </p><p>“You can join us, if you want,” Donald said. </p><p>“Oh! No, I, um...” She looked over at Lena, who was checking her phone. “She doesn’t need to worry about me.”</p><p>Donald looked to Lena and back. “I see...”</p><p>“It’s just... Dad died cause I couldn’t, you know?” she said. “And I don’t want to put that on anyone else, <em> especially </em>her.”</p><p>“Gosalyn, what happened with your father isn’t your fault,” Donald said. “Have you talked with your dads about this?”</p><p>Gosalyn scratched the back of her neck. “Drake and Fenton get weird when I talk about him.”</p><p>He nodded. “Sure. What about your Mom?”</p><p>“She just gets sad,” Gosalyn said.</p><p>“I see,” Donald said. “You know... my boys grew up without Della. There were some fights that happened because they wanted to know about her, and Scrooge and I just couldn’t talk about it. There was one really big one that ended up with a lot of people getting hurt. To some extent, Scrooge and I both blamed ourselves for what happened. Coming out of it, there was some catharsis because everyone knew the truth, but I never should have let it get that far. You shouldn’t either.”</p><p>Gosalyn nodded.</p><p>“Come on and join us,” Donald said. “I don’t think Lena will mind.”</p><p>“Okay,” she said, smiling.</p><p>Donald brought Gosalyn back with him to the training area. </p><p>“Okay, Lena,” he said. “Let’s try something a little different.”</p><p>“Hey, Lena,” Gosalyn said. </p><p>“Hey, Gos,” Lena said.</p><p>“Gosalyn, I want you to do your best to disarm Lena,” Donald said. “Lena, the quickest way for someone to weaken your position is to try and get your staff away from you. Make sure to hold on to it.”</p><p>He picked up his bo staff and offered it to Gosalyn.</p><p>“I think I’ll stick with this,” she said, tapping the hockey stick with her hand. </p><p>The two dropped into stances. </p><p>“Go,” Donald said. </p><p>Gosalyn swung the stick over Lena’s head and brought it down. Lena blocked with her staff. Gosalyn hooked the staff with her stick’s blade and pulled. Lena held on, pulled with the staff and stumbling forward. Gosalyn pulled back and swung down, the blade hitting the inside of Lena’s ankle. Her leg swept out from under her. Lena fell, and her vision whited out.</p><p> </p><p><em> Lena couldn’t make out walls or a floor, but she saw Scarlet </em> — <em> or, at least, she knew she was looking at Scarlet. The woman in front of her was shorter, her feathers were white, her figure more round. Lena honestly wasn’t sure how she knew it was the same woman. </em></p><p>
  <em> Scarlet stood in front of a tall figure in blue robes. His face was obscured in shadow. A large sapphire hung from his neck on a gold chain. She could see Scarlet’s face and she knew that expression— or, more to the point, she knew what made that expression. </em>
</p><p><em> “I... I almost had it,” Scarlet said. “I was </em> right there, <em> I just</em>— <em> I wasn’t ready for that girl.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “The DeSpell girl is none of your concern, Macawber,” the figure said. “Even with the staff, she does not have the strength to truly wield it. When the time is right, I will deal with her." </em>
</p><p><em> “She has Magica’s strength,” Scarlet said. “And just because she never beat </em> you—<em>"</em></p><p>
  <em> The figure’s eyes flashed and Scarlet fell silent, flinching.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Lena gasped, waking up. Donald and Gosalyn knelt over her.</p><p>“I’m sorry!” Gosalyn said. “I didn’t mean it!”</p><p>“No, you’re good,” Lena said. “That was me.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” Donald asked, helping her up.</p><p>“Yeah, I...” Lena sighed. “I’m not sure how to explain it.”</p><p>“Why don’t you try, lass?” Scrooge walked towards the three of them. </p><p>“I... I saw Scarlet,” she said. “She was with someone. I couldn’t really see where. He didn’t... I think he’s the one that wants the Jewel of Atlantis. He’s someone that beat Magica, she mentioned that.”</p><p>“Aye, I was afraid of that,” Scrooge said. “I took the boys and Webby down to that Funso's place to see if Magica would be willing to part with just a bit more information. She gave me a name.”</p><p>“What name?” Donald asked. </p><p>“Merlock.”</p><p>Lena stepped back. </p><p>“No,” Lena said. “No, he can’t... I thought he was dead.”</p><p>“So did Magica,” Scrooge said. “Apparently, someone brought him back.”</p><p>“The Macawbers,” Lena said. “The woman, Scarlet, he called her Macawber.”</p><p>“Who are the Macawbers?” Gosalyn asked.</p><p>“They’re a family my aunt cursed a few hundred years ago,” Lena said. “They’re monsters— literally, some are undead, some are vampires, some half-creature.”</p><p>“Magica turned them into monsters?” Gosalyn asked.</p><p>“No, they were already like that,” Lena said. “No, she cursed them with immortality.”</p><p>“How is that a curse?” Gosalyn asked.</p><p>“It is,” Donald and Scrooge said at the same time.</p><p>“Trust us, lass,” Scrooge said.</p><p>“I’d bet she’s looking for a way to break the curse,” Donald said. </p><p>“And he’s forcing her to work for him in exchange for him setting her free,” Lena said.</p><p>Donald put a hand on her shoulder. “If that’s true, we’ll get her out of it. And try and break that curse while we’re at it.”</p><p>Lena nodded. “Thank you.”</p><p>“Donald, your sister wants you to debrief the others about last night,” Scrooge said. </p><p>“Right,” he said. “Lena, Gosalyn, you did great work today.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Gosalyn said.</p><p>Donald and Scrooge left. </p><p>“I should probably get back home,” Lena said. “They’ll want me to come with them tonight, and I should get some sleep.”</p><p>“Sure,” Gosalyn said. “Hey, Lena?”</p><p>“Yeah?” Lena asked.</p><p>“I... You’re not alone in this,” Gosalyn said. “We’re here for you. I’m here for you.”</p><p>Lena smiled. “Yeah. I think... I think I’m getting used to that.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Don't Decieve Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Why does my heart cry?<br/>Feelings I can't fight!<br/>You're free to leave me<br/>But just don't deceive me"<br/>— Moulin Rouge!, "El Tango de Roxanne"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <em> Monday Evening: 66 Hours Remain </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Drake sat on the edge of the bed. Fenton sat next to him, his head on Drake’s shoulder. Drake had a hand on Fenton’s knee. Fenton’s hands were on Drake’s arm, and Drake could feel them shaking, feel his pulse through his palms. Fenton leaned up and kissed him with a question he couldn’t bear to ask. Drake kissed back, the fear in the grip of his hands on Fenton cutting through the reassurance of his arms around his waist. They fell back onto the bed. </p>
<p>Drake looked up at Fenton, who straddled his hips and tried to ask the question, but the words wouldn’t come. Drake traced along the edge of the faded scar on his chest and Fenton leaned down with a pleading kiss, almost begging. Drake pulled him close, trying to make his desire clear. Fenton could feel the passion and desperation as Drake’s heart threatened to beat out of his chest as he ran his fingers through Drake’s feathers. </p>
<p>Drake came up for air, his chest heaving as he panted. Fenton kissed along his collar as Drake combed through Fenton’s hair with his fingers. Fenton kissed him one last time before lying down, curled up next to him. Fenton’s eyes burned with tears and he could barely look up at Drake to try and ask again.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Drake said quietly, kissing his forehead. </p>
<p>Drake saw the relief in his face and could feel the tension release in his body. Fenton rested his head on Drake’s chest as Drake gently played with his hair. He closed his eyes, comforted by the sound of a steady heartbeat.</p>
<p>Drake wasn’t sure if he was lying.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was close to midnight when Scarlet snuck into the power plant under the cover of darkness and her invisibility spell. She had gotten so close the last time, she just needed a little more time to get her hands on it. She extracted the Jewel of Atlantis from its machinery again, and she was almost able to touch it, when a hand grabbed her wrist. Her invisibility melted away as Darkwing pulled her from the machine.</p>
<p>“Hello, Scarlet,” he said. </p>
<p>“I thought I got rid of you,” she hissed.</p>
<p>“I’m the bad penny of crime,” he said. “I keep turning up.”</p>
<p>She blasted him back and went for the jewel. She was blocked by Gizmoduck’s arm wrapping around the jewel and pulling it away. Gizmoduck handed it off to Lena, who started to run. Scarlet blasted the exit, and flames shot up from the ground. Lena skidded to a halt. Darkwing tackled Scarlet, bringing her to the ground.</p>
<p>“Oh, my <em> darling</em>,” she said. “I <em> so </em> hoped we could be... <em> friends</em>.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m sure you did,” Darkwing said. “But dearest, you’re a criminal. How could we ever trust each other?”</p>
<p>“Darkwing...” Scarlet fluttered her eyes and smiled. “I didn’t know you <em> cared</em>.”</p>
<p>She punched him, knocking him back. Gizmoduck pelted pies at her as she got to her feet. She lifted her hand and the armor flew into the air, pulling Fenton up with it. She slammed him into the ceiling and then the ground. Pieces of the armor came flying off. Lena ran to him, still clutching the jewel. Scarlet tried to pull the jewel towards her. Lena used the staff to try and pull it back. The jewel hung in mid-air, moving slightly between them. Scarlet looked up to where she’d hit Gizmoduck against the ceiling and saw cracks in the plaster. She let go of the jewel for a moment and blasted the cracks. The roof came down over them and Lena released the jewel, throwing up a shield around her and Gizmoduck. Scarlet pulled the jewel to her and it vanished as soon as she touched it, a red feather floating to the ground. Darkwing jumped at her and his hand was caught in the chain of her ruby pendant. He pulled his hand away and the chain broke. The pendant fell to the floor.</p>
<p>“No!” she said.</p>
<p>He grabbed her and pushed her into the wall.</p>
<p>“Where did it go?” he asked.</p>
<p>“And why would I tell you?” she asked.</p>
<p>“We know about Merlock,” he said. “We can help you.”</p>
<p>Her face fell and she caressed his cheek.  “Oh, <em> darling</em>... you <em> can’t</em>.”</p>
<p>She seized up like someone was choking her. Darkwing stepped back.</p>
<p>“Scarlet?” he said.</p>
<p>She let out a pained cry and collapsed, unconscious. Darkwing caught her before she could hit the floor. Lena helped Fenton to his feet and looked back to Darkwing.</p>
<p>“Did we just... <em> lose</em>?” Drake asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Drake sat alone at the conference table in JDI headquarters. He rubbed his temples, he could <em> feel </em> the headache coming on. Della walked up behind him and put a glass of water and a bottle of asprin on the table.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” he muttered.</p>
<p>“So,” she said, sitting down. “You blew it.”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes. “<em>Thanks</em>. I assume you’re going to tell me I need to get some sleep?”</p>
<p>“Nah,” she said. “I think you need to punch something.”</p>
<p>He looked up. </p>
<p>Minutes later, Della had him pinned to the mat in the training room. He tapped out and she stepped back. </p>
<p>“This is supposed to make me feel <em> better</em>?” he asked, brushing himself off. </p>
<p>“You’re off your game,” Della said. “What are you going to do about it?”</p>
<p>He got up and took a swing at her. She blocked and kicked him in the gut. He stumbled back.</p>
<p>“I got into this...” He tried to catch his breath. “I was just some guy in a costume. Then your uncle brought me in to fight an alien invasion. Now I’m out here trying to stop a small <em> apocalypse </em>.”</p>
<p>“That’s not the reason,” Della said. </p>
<p>She hit him across the face and put him in a chokehold.</p>
<p>“What are you going to do about it?” she asked.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.</p>
<p>She threw him against the wall and pinned him there.</p>
<p>“You’re distracted,” she said. “You’re making amateur mistakes. You’re in over your head, Darkwing.”</p>
<p>“I know!”</p>
<p>He sunk to his knees, head in hands. Della stepped back.</p>
<p>“I know...” he said. “I can’t think straight. I haven’t since Saturday. I... I don’t know if I’m still in love with him.”</p>
<p>Della paused. “I got left by someone I thought... had cared. I won’t say it wasn’t hard. Trust me when I say it would be harder for Fenton if...”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know,” Drake said. </p>
<p>“Or maybe you just need to remember why you fell in love with him in the first place,” Della said.</p>
<p>Drake scoffed. “You think that’ll be enough?”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Beakley opened the door to the training room.</p>
<p>“Something’s wrong with Scarlet.”</p>
<p>The two activated their suits and ran to the holding cell. Scarlet held her head in her hands, magic sparking around her arms and chest. Drake went into the cell and knelt in front of her.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Get... back!” she said. </p>
<p>A burst of magic sent him flying back and he crashed against the wall. Della went in to help him up. When the light faded, another woman was kneeling on the floor— a full-figured duck with dark hair. </p>
<p>“I know her,” Drake said quietly. Della looked at him. “<em>Drake </em> knows her.”</p>
<p>Della got to her feet and approached her.</p>
<p>“Who are you?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Please,” the woman said. “You have to help me.”</p>
<p>“What’s your name?” Della continued.</p>
<p>“My name is Morgana Macawber,” she said. “And you’re all in terrible danger.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Know For Sure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Wild thing, I think I love you<br/>But I wanna know for sure"<br/>— The Troggs, "Wild Thing"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Tuesday Morning: 60 Hours Remain </em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“In danger from what?” Darkwing asked.</p><p>“You... you said you knew,” Morgana said. “About Merlock, about what’s going on.”</p><p>“We know about Merlock,” Della said. “We know he’s planning on attacking Duckburg during the eclipse.”</p><p>“It’s more than that,” Morgana said. “Some of the most powerful magic users in the world live in this city. And the amount of magical artifacts... He’s planning on using the Jewel of Atlantis to take that power for himself.”</p><p>“Making him even stronger than he already is,” Darkwing said. “Del...”</p><p>“I’m on it,” she said, heading out to talk to Mrs. Beakley. </p><p>Darkwing turned back to Morgana.</p><p>“So... what did he promise you?” Darkwing asked. “He was going to break Magica’s curse, right?”</p><p>“No,” Morgana said. “No, he said only Magica can do that. He gave me the pendant so I could change between Scarlet and Morgan— that’s my... normal name, Morgan McCaw.”</p><p>Darkwing crossed his arms. “Normal?”</p><p>“I can’t do magic,” she said. “Not like this. But I can walk through a crowd without people staring, I can <em> exist </em>.”</p><p>“But at night, you turn back into Scarlet,” he said.</p><p>“Scarlet isn’t me either, is the thing,” Morgana said. “Merlock... tore the two halves of me apart when he gave me that spell. I can’t do magic and she can’t... she doesn’t know what all this is for.”</p><p>“I think she was starting to figure it out,” Drake said. “She told me last night that I couldn’t help her. I think you’re smarter than you give yourself credit for.”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Morgana said. “Maybe. But when I go back, I’m going to be that thief again, and I can’t stop it.”</p><p>Darkwing nodded. “Maybe we can fix that.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Fenton shifted the weight of his bag on his shoulder and opened the door to the roof of the Money Bin. Gandra and Mallory had set up a receptor dish on the roof. Mallory was at the controls and Gandra had climbed in the dish to make manual adjustments.</p><p>“Well, it looks like you’re having fun,” he said, putting down his bag. </p><p>“More fun than should be allowed by law,” Mallory said, grimacing. She looked over at Fenton. “Damn thing isn’t working.”</p><p>“Let me take a look,” Fenton said, walking over to the controls. </p><p>“Gandra’s readjusting the sensor array,” Mallory said. “It’s just not picking anything up.”</p><p>“Tracking magic is tricky,” Fenton said. “It doesn’t show up in the ways we usually expect it to. Are you tracking gamma rays?”</p><p>“They’re too small to get picked up by the sensors,” Gandra said, shouting down. She slid down the disk and dismounted. “We don’t have anything that can do that.”</p><p>“That’s not necessarily true,” Fenton said. “We’re not looking for background stuff, it’ll be in large amounts, especially with something this powerful.”</p><p>He adjusted some of the controls and the gears under the disk started to grind as it slowly moved to point towards the city. </p><p>“Okay,” Fenton said. “That should do it. We’ll have a location by Thursday morning.”</p><p>“And it’s not going to turn anyone into the Hulk before then?” Mallory asked.</p><p>“I mean, we’re talking about some very volatile magical energy,” Fenton said. “I’m not going to promise anything.”</p><p>“Right,” Gandra said. “So I heard you have a quantum computer in the lab right now?”</p><p>“Yeah, that thing you found was some kind of AI,” Fenton said. “I can take you through my notes if you want to— and she’s already down the stairs.”</p><p>The door to the stairs slammed shut.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I got this,” Mallory said. “Oh, swing by HQ later, I found a box of Dad’s stuff that I think Drake’s gonna want.”</p><p>Fenton nodded. “Sure. Have you talked with Drake at all today?”</p><p>“He was around HQ earlier, but he seemed busy,” Mallory said. “Or preoccupied, maybe. Did he need something?”</p><p>“We’re fine,” Fenton lied. “Everything’s fine.”</p><p>“Right,” Mallory said. “Except that’s not what I asked.”</p><p>Fenton didn’t answer.</p><p>“You can talk to me,” Mallory said.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Fenton said. “But thank you. I better get down to the lab before Gandra, y’know...”</p><p>“Right, I got it from here,” Mallory said. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Fenton found the box on Mallory’s desk. She was still at the Bin, and the box had been left open. He glanced inside to see what was there.</p><p>Letters and photos. He picked up one on the top, where Drake was just a hatchling, held by a woman with light hair. On the back in small handwriting was written ‘Lily and Drake, 87’. As he picked the box up, he heard something hard hit the bottom as the contents shifted. He fished it out— it was a ring taped to a letter. </p><p>‘<em>Dear Ray, </em></p><p>
  <em> I’m sorry. I can’t tell you why I’m leaving. I never wanted this to happen to you, and especially not to Drake. But you won’t be safe if I stayed, and I can’t put Drake and Mallory in that kind of danger. You already lost María because of me, and she did love you. She had to, to be hurt like that.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Perhaps it’s just to be cruel, to make myself seem callous, but I never wanted to fall in love with you. I suppose you had little choice in the matter as well. Many things could be said about me, but I am very good at my job. This time together has been the happiest I've been in years. I wish we could have had longer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I'm also returning the ring. If they found it, it would just be worse when they catch up with you. Hide it. Hide everything from me. When Drake is older, perhaps it will be safe to give him the answers he will want but for now, you and Mallory are all he has in the world. Please protect him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I also want to tell you about someone you may meet in the future. His name is Gyro, he's one of the orphans. He's brilliant and he will need help. He cares so much and they're going to break him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I wish it didn't have to be like this. I love you, Ray. I always will. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Your flower, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Lilith Gray' </em>
</p><p>Fenton picked up his phone and placed a call.</p><p>"What's up, suit?" Gandra said.</p><p>"What do you know about a FOWL agent named Lilith Gray?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Need Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Love me, love me<br/>Pretend that you love me<br/>Leave me, leave me<br/>Just say that you need me"<br/>— Cardigan, "Lovefool"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Tuesday Afternoon: 48 Hours Remain </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Lena clutched her staff as she stepped into Morgana’s cell. She had always been told that the Macawbers were a dangerous group of monsters that would try and destroy her if she ever got near them. She knew that Magica had to be lying— there were so many things she had lied about. </p><p>She had to be lying.</p><p>Lena stepped forward. Morgana looked at her, her eyes flashing yellow. Lena pulled her staff close.</p><p>She <em> had </em> to be lying.</p><p>Morgana backed away from her. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I-I’m here to help,” Lena said. “I... I can give you your magic back.”</p><p><em> Bad plan, bad plan, BAD PLAN</em>— Lena shook her head to try and turn off her thoughts.</p><p>“Why would you do that?” Morgana said. “Why would you <em> want </em> to?”</p><p>“Because I want to help,” Lena said. “Please, I... I’m not her. I’m nothing like her, I promise.”</p><p>Morgana stepped forward, looking her over. “You give your word?”</p><p>Lena nodded.</p><p>Morgana knelt in front of her. “Give me your hand.”</p><p>Lena slowly let go of the staff and held out her hand. Morgana held it in hers, rubbing her thumbs on the back of it.</p><p>“Oh, darling, you’re trembling,” she said, quietly. “You can’t cast a spell that powerful when you’re like this.”</p><p>“I know, I just— Aunt Magica said...” Lena sighed. “I’m still figuring things out.”</p><p>Morgana nodded. “I understand. But... Lena, was it?”</p><p>Lena nodded again.</p><p>“How old are you?” Morgana asked.</p><p>“Thirteen,” Lena said.</p><p>“And how long have you been thirteen?”</p><p>Lena paused.</p><p>“Lena, dear, I’ve been practicing magic for over 300 years,” Morgana said. “There are so many things you need to learn before you can do anything to help me.”</p><p>“No, that’s it, I have Magica’s powers!” she said. “Anything she did, I can... I can <em> fix </em> it.”</p><p>Morgana paused. “And you think that’s what you’re here for?”</p><p>Lena opened her beak, but couldn’t say anything.</p><p>“If I may, my father,” Morgana started, “he... He’s not cruel, but he distrusts outsiders. People who aren’t... who aren’t like <em> us </em>. After what Magica did, it only got worse. There’s a small village near my home. There would be times that a villager caught sight of one of us and they would attack us. My father would fight back and many people got hurt over the centuries. And every time, I would be the one that would go and make peace. I looked the most normal, so, I suppose that’s some sort of privilege. It wasn’t until a few decades ago that I finally saw that what was happening, it wasn’t going to stop no matter how many times I tried. So I left. And I haven’t been back since.”</p><p>“Do you ever miss it?” Lena said. “Even if you’re not supposed to?”</p><p>“Yes and no,” Morgana said. “My family never hurt me, Lena. I have a feeling Magica did?”</p><p>Lena didn’t respond.</p><p>“We don’t have to fix our parents mistakes,” Morgana said. “But if you and your friends can stop Merlock before the eclipse, I can teach you what you should have been learning from the start.”</p><p>“You’d do that?” Lena said.</p><p>Morgana smiled. “Yes, I would.”</p><p>Lena exhaled. “Magica was wrong about you. You’re... really nice.”</p><p>“Magica lies about a lot of things,” Morgana said.</p><p>Lena laughed softly. “Pretty sure she’d melt if she ever told the truth.”</p><p>"And here I thought I'd just need a bucket of water," Morgana said.</p><p>Darkwing walked in. “Hey, Lena, PK’s looking for you.”</p><p>She nodded. “Okay.”</p><p>“We’ll talk later,” Morgana said.</p><p>Lena left, waving goodbye. Darkwing leaned on the wall of Morgana’s cell.</p><p>“Tell me about Merlock,” he said.</p><p>“I don’t know much,” she said. “I know he’s powerful, though.”</p><p>“And how do you know that?” Darkwing asked. “What makes one magic user more powerful than another?”</p><p>“Luck of the draw, really,” Morgana said. “Some think that training has to do with it, but that’s just a matter of controlling what you already have.”</p><p>“What can he do?” he asked. “When we go to fight him, what is he going to use to fight us?”</p><p>“I’ve never actually seen him do magic,” she said. “When he gave me this pendant,” she touched the ruby necklace she was wearing, “he walked me through the enchantment. It was... freeing, to be able to separate the two parts of me. I didn’t realise that I couldn’t bring them back together once I’d done it.”</p><p>“Bit of a monkey’s paw,” Darkwing said. “You got the life you wanted, but you still have to go back every night.”</p><p>“And here I thought you were just going to ask about the flirting,” she said, looking away, her face flushed.</p><p>“Would you like me to ask about the flirting?” he said, smiling.</p><p>She shrugged. “You’re cute. And... maybe not the kind of guy who’d look at Morgan twice.”</p><p>“You’re not wrong, it’s just not for the reason you think,” he said. “Plus, I’m kinda taken.”</p><p>“Oh?” she asked.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said. “Gizmoduck, actually.”</p><p>“<em>Oh</em>... So, when he said I was barking up the wrong tree?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Right.” She looked away. </p><p>He shrugged. “He’s not jealous by nature, so it wasn’t that big of a deal... the love potion <em> did </em> throw a wrench in my week, however.”</p><p>“Right, your friend...” she said. “Launchpad, you called him?”</p><p>“No, he actually called F-Gizmoduck for backup after I passed out,” he said. “So, you know, thanks for the existential crisis.”</p><p>“Oh,” she said. “Sorry about that. It was actually Merlock’s idea— something about letting you destroy yourselves.”</p><p>“Interesting,” Darkwing said. “Do you... know who we are?”</p><p>“I know two of you are the Duck twins,” she said. “I don’t know Gizmoduck, if that’s what you’re asking.”</p><p>“Does Merlock?” he asked.</p><p>“I don’t know, maybe,” she said.</p><p>He nodded. “I see.”</p><p>“He said something odd,” Morgana said. “Something about a child.”</p><p>“What child?”</p><p>“Just that he knew a child whose friend was the daughter of heroes,” she said. “That his goal was to capture them once his magic is... restored, I think? It seemed as cryptic as I’m describing it, I’m sorry I can’t be more specific.”</p><p>“No, that’s enough,” he said, standing up straight. “Thank you.”</p><p>He left the cell and when he was out of her sightlines, disengaged his suit. </p><p>Gosalyn. Gosalyn was the ‘daughter of heroes’, that’s what Merlock had to mean. And her friend? Maybe Webby, maybe Violet, but his best guess?</p><p>Merlock was going after Lena. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Lena brought her staff down full force and Gosalyn rolled to dodge. Gosalyn swept her stick and Lena jumped back. Gosalyn scrambled to her feet, regripping her hockey stick. Lena held her staff behind her back and ran at Gosalyn full force. Gosalyn swung, hitting her in the side. Lena fell, tumbling through the grass. Her staff rolled away. Gosalyn put the blade of her stick under Lena’s chin and lifted it. Lena grinned.</p><p>“Okay, you got me that time,” Lena said. </p><p>Gosalyn smiled and offered her hand, helping Lena up.</p><p>“Not bad,” Donald said, walking over. “Lena, what was your mistake?”</p><p>“I let go of the staff?” Lena said. She brushed herself off. “Yeah, I caught that.”</p><p>“Not exactly,” Donald said. He picked up Lena’s staff. “A weapon like this, you never want to put behind you. I don’t care how ‘cool’ it looks, keep it in front, or you can’t block.”</p><p>He threw the staff to her and she caught it out of the air. His phone buzzed and he sighed when he looked at it. </p><p>“All right, take a break for a minute,” he said.</p><p>Gosalyn and Lena sat on a bench near the pool. Gosalyn scratched the back of her neck. </p><p>“So, um... this thing that’s gonna happen,” Gosalyn said. “How exactly is it... y’know, happening?”</p><p>“Best guess, from what Morgana is saying, is that he’s planning on using the Jewel of Atlantis and the eclipse to... well, steal all the magic in the area,” Lena said. “He’s probably going to use it to destroy the city, or something big like that.”</p><p>“And what’s that going to do to you?” Gosalyn asked. “Aren’t you made of magic?”</p><p>“Something like that,” Lena said. “I’m... not sure what would happen. Last time I went incorporeal, it took both Violet <em> and </em> Webby to bring me back. If magic was just <em> gone </em>, I don’t know if they could do it again.”</p><p>Gosalyn looked away. “Oh...”</p><p>“<em>But </em> I have something that even the adults don’t know about,” Lena said, leaning in.</p><p>“Oh?” Gosalyn said, sitting up. </p><p>Lena pulled out a jagged knife that almost seemed to glow with a bright light.</p><p>“Woah...” Gosalyn said. “Now <em> that </em> is cool.”</p><p>“It’s a Vesuvian Diamond Dagger,” Lena said. “It can cut through anything. I was even almost able to get Scrooge’s dime off of him, once.”</p><p>“<em>Nice</em>,” Gosalyn said. “Better put it away, before they catch you.”</p><p>“Right, right.”</p><p>She hid the dagger and Gosalyn turned her hockey stick in her hands. </p><p>“So, um... in case we don’t, y’know, die in a magical apocalypse,” Gosalyn said, “would you, ah... maybe...”</p><p>Lena gently shoulder checked her. “I hear they rebooted that horror movie your dad was in.”</p><p>“<em>Zombie Nightmare</em>?” Gosalyn said. “He never let me watch it, he said it was too violent.”</p><p>“I’ll pick you up around 7,” Lena said. “Friday work for you?”</p><p>Gosalyn grinned. “Yeah. Friday works.”</p><p>Lena shrugged. “If we’re not all dead.”</p><p>“I mean, of course,” she said.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Drake sat on the couch, looking over scripts from work. Fenton sat on the other end, flipping through channels on a mute TV. He put down the remote when it landed on an <em> Ottoman Empire </em> rerun, but he didn’t unmute the TV or even seem to watch it, picking up his phone. </p><p>“This is ridiculous,” Drake muttered, throwing the script on the coffee table.</p><p>“Not enough in the sfx budget?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“No, we should be able to talk about this, right?” Drake asked. </p><p>“You said everything was okay,” Fenton said.</p><p>“But you know it’s not,” Drake said. “You can’t... <em> not </em> know. You can’t be so <em> deep </em> in denial that—”</p><p>Fenton sat up and put his hand on Drake’s. </p><p>“I’m not,” Fenton said. “But I want to give you time. This is all happening so quickly... I want you to be sure.”</p><p>Drake breathed deeply. He pulled Fenton on top of him and kissed him forcefully, running his fingers through Fenton’s hair. Fenton clung to his shirt, wanting desperately for this to be the answer.</p><p>“I’m not sure of anything right now,” Drake muttered. “Except that you love me. And I don’t want to hurt you.”</p><p>“What makes you think the truth will hurt me?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“Because it hurts me every time I think about it,” Drake said.</p><p>Drake’s phone buzzed.</p><p>“I gotta pick up Gosalyn,” Drake said.</p><p>“Right,” Fenton said.</p><p>Drake grabbed his keys and left.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Place to Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"But could it be I found a place to rest<br/>How far until I'm ok?"<br/>— LAST ALLIANCE, "Shissou"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Wednesday Afternoon: 24 Hours Remain </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Fenton fiddled with the electronic microscope, looking through it but not really looking <em> at </em> anything in particular. His notes thus far consisted of mostly scribbles and spirals, drawn idly as he recalibrated equipment. Gyro looked up from his soldering to see his lab partner tearing a page of scribbles out of his notebook and tossing it in the trash.</p><p>“One of those days, huh?” Gyro said. </p><p>“Not exactly,” Fenton said. “I mean, I’m worried about Drake, but—”</p><p>“I thought you were fixed now,” Gyro said.</p><p>“We were— we are,” Fenton said. “We just... need some time.”</p><p>Gyro nodded. “He’s lucky to have you.”</p><p>“What does <em> that </em> mean?” Fenton said.</p><p>“Just what I said,” Gyro muttered. “He’s a good man, and he’s lucky to have you.”</p><p>“Right...”</p><p>Fenton turned back to his work and steeled himself.</p><p>“There’s no good way to ask this,” Fenton said. “But how did you know Lilith Gray?”</p><p>There was a loud clatter and Fenton turned around to see that Gyro had dropped some scrap metal on his foot. </p><p>“<em>Ow.</em>” Gyro picked up the scrap. “Where did you get that name?”</p><p>“A letter,” Fenton said. “Written to Raymond Waddlemeyer.”</p><p>“A letter?”</p><p>“Taped to an engagement ring,” Fenton said.</p><p>Gyro deflated. “That makes sense. She was... different, when she came back.”</p><p>“She mentioned you by name,” Fenton said. “She thought... She thought his dad could save you.”</p><p>“Did she?” Gyro breathed. “She never mentioned it.”</p><p>Fenton paused. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”</p><p>“What do you want me to say?” Gyro said. “That she was a black widow agent that they killed because she fell in love?”</p><p>“Is that what happened?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“I...” Gyro looked away. “He looks like her. I mean, he looks more like his dad, of course, but... I see her in him. And he doesn’t even know.”</p><p>“That they’re both dead,” Fenton said.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Gyro said. </p><p>“No, I understand,” Fenton said. “Thank you.”</p><p>“Don’t <em> thank </em> me,” Gyro said, starting to pace. “You think I want to know this stuff? You think it doesn’t kill me, watching him in here, knowing what I know?”</p><p>“It’s not your fault,” Fenton said, standing in his way. “You weren’t even 10 yet, what could you have done?”</p><p>“I could have looked away,” Gyro said. “So I didn’t still see it decades later.”</p><p>“They made you <em> watch</em>?” Fenton said, cringing.</p><p>Gyro paused. “She was nice to me. To all of us. So of course they did.”</p><p>Fenton saw Gyro’s glasses fogging up. Gyro stepped back and turned away, wiping his glasses off.</p><p>“We should get back to work,” he said quietly.</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>Gyro put on a pair of headphones and went back to his soldering. Fenton turned back to the microscope and started taking real notes.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Drake stuck his head in Gosalyn’s room. </p><p>“Homework going okay?” he asked.</p><p>“Yeah,” Gosalyn said. “I’m gonna work on Algebra after dinner when Tío Fenton is free.”</p><p>“Probably for the best,” Drake said. “Well, I’ll let you work.”</p><p>“Actually...”</p><p>Drake paused.</p><p>“Can I ask you something?” Gosalyn said.</p><p>“Sure,” Drake said, coming in and sitting on the bed. “What’s up?”</p><p>“How did you know it was Fenton?”</p><p>Drake blinked. “Oh, wow, okay. This conversation.”</p><p>He wasn’t ready for this, not so soon. </p><p>“Okay, I guess... well, I didn’t really <em> know </em> at first.” </p><p><em> Do I even know now? </em>he thought.</p><p>“I think he did.” </p><p>
  <em> He knew I was Darkwing, and he loved me anyways. </em>
</p><p>“He saw right through me.”</p><p>“Oh?” Gosalyn asked.</p><p>"Yeah, I was... I didn’t know he was Gizmoduck for the first couple of weeks,” Drake said. “But he knew me right away. Yeah, part of it was a broken leg, but he also knew exactly...” </p><p>
  <em> How to stroke my ego? </em>
</p><p>“He knew what I wanted to hear. Maybe not the healthiest start, but by the time that I learned he was Gizmoduck, I was already in love with him.”</p><p>“But you knew you felt different about him,” Gosalyn said. “There was something that you knew right away that made you feel different than... I dunno, meeting Donald.”</p><p>“Sure,” Drake said. “There’s a physical aspect to it. Sometimes, at least, but that’s a different conversation. I didn’t really know <em> Fenton </em> when I met him— just that he worked with Gyro and he was friends with Launchpad. I met him and he was... brilliant, and passionate, and <em> enthusiastic</em>. He wants to help people, he... he just wants to help.”</p><p>He paused, smiling to himself. <em> There it is. </em></p><p>“It’s not exactly ‘love-at-first-sight’, I can’t really define it,” he said. “But yeah. There was something.”</p><p>Gosalyn nodded.</p><p>“It’ll probably be different for you,” Drake said. “Love is a dynamic. It depends on the relationship and the people in it. But if you know how you feel, it makes a world of difference.”</p><p>“Okay,” she said, turning back to her work.</p><p>“Gosalyn?”</p><p>She looked up. </p><p>“You’ll always be safe here,” he said. </p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“I understand,” she said. </p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>He got up and went to the kitchen. Fenton was chopping up vegetables for a salad. </p><p>“Hey,” Fenton said. “Can you set the table? Dinner’s almost ready.”</p><p>Drake nodded. “Okay.”</p><p>Drake started getting plates out of the cupboard. </p><p>“So I’ve been talking with Mallory,” Fenton said. </p><p>“Oh, great, because conversations starting like that <em> always </em> go well for me,” Drake said, smirking.</p><p>“She found a box of stuff that belonged to your dad,” Fenton said. “She said you’d want to have it.”</p><p>Drake got silverware out of a drawer. Fenton couldn’t see his face. “Is that right?”</p><p>“It had some letters and things from your mother.”</p><p>Drake closed his eyes and leaned on the counter. “Okay.”</p><p>Fenton put down his knife. “Drake, I figured out what happened to her.”</p><p>“She was a FOWL agent, sent to steal the Ramrod, and they killed her for falling in love with Dad and having me?” he said.</p><p>Fenton blinked. “How—?”</p><p>“Because what else could have happened?” Drake said, almost laughing. “You think I couldn’t have figured that out as soon as I knew the truth about Mallory and Gyro? Fen, why do you think Gandra went into hiding?”</p><p>“I just...” Fenton exhaled. “I thought you’d want to know the truth.”</p><p>Fenton went back to finishing the salad. </p><p>“I’d actually been looking into trying to track her down, before... well, before all of this,” Fenton said. “I knew you were upset because I have all this family coming and you don’t really have that, and I just wanted to help, so I thought—”</p><p>Suddenly, Drake was <em> there, </em>putting the knife on the counter and pulling Fenton into a deep kiss and a tight embrace. Fenton melted— it felt more real that anything Drake had done that week. He could also feel the tears on Drake's face and how he clutched at Fenton’s shirt, trying to keep his balance. Drake pulled away, wiping off his face. His breathing was ragged and he started to laugh. </p><p>“Was it something I said?” Fenton said.</p><p>“I have been searching for days now,” Drake said. “For some way to... I don’t know. Della said I just needed to remember why I fell in love with you in the first place.”</p><p>“Was she right?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“Yeah,” Drake breathed. “Of course you kept asking if I was going to stay. Of course you’d go, in the middle of us <em> fighting</em>, and try and unravel my past to find my family. You just wanted to help. That was it. That’s what I was looking for.”</p><p>Fenton paused. “And?”</p><p>“I don’t want to hurt you,” Drake said. “But more than that, I don’t want to <em> leave</em>. And not just this, I don’t want to leave <em> you</em>.”</p><p>“Drake, I want you to stay, but...” Fenton looked away. “I want you to be with someone you’re in love with.”</p><p>Drake lifted Fenton’s beak. “I already am.”</p><p>“Ugh, gross.” Gosalyn was sitting at the kitchen table with a huge grin on her face. “Old people.”</p><p>“Hey, who are you calling old?” Drake said, going over and hugging her. “I love you too, Gos. Now help me set the table.”</p><p>Gosalyn rolled her eyes. “<em>Fine.</em>”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Hell to Pay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"It's been 300 years right down to the day<br/>Now the witch is back! And there's hell to pay."<br/>— Hocus Pocus, "I Put a Spell On You"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em> Thursday Morning: Dawn of the Final Day </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Gosalyn was in her 3rd period Algebra class when the phone in her backpack buzzed. Her teacher turned to the blackboard to write an example out and she quickly ducked down to look. </p><p><b> <em>Mallory:</em> </b> <em> Got a location. Sending you coordinates. Something about this doesn’t add up. </em></p><p>“What?” Gosalyn said quietly.</p><p>“Something wrong, Ms. Starling?” the teacher asked. </p><p>Gosalyn looked up. “Um, yeah, can you go over how ‘4ac’ is derived again?”</p><p>The teacher turned back to the board to explain further and Gosalyn looked back at the phone. She realized that she hadn’t taken her phone when she left, but Fenton’s. She opened the text and put the coordinates her mother sent into a navigator app. It came up as Funso's. Her mother was right, that didn’t make sense. </p><p>Gosalyn looked up at the clock. 20 minutes left in class. Her hockey stick was in her locker. She could get it before she left.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The phone on Fenton’s lab bench buzzed. Fenton picked it up.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Where are you?” Drake asked loudly.</p><p>“Um, the lab?” Fenton said. “Babe, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“Wait, Fenton?” Drake said.</p><p>“Yeah,” Fenton said. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“I just got a call from Gosalyn’s school,” Drake said. “She didn’t show up for fourth period. I tried calling her and—”</p><p>“And I ended up with her phone this morning,” Fenton said, looking the phone over. “Why would she cut class?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Drake said. “Give me a minute, let me trace your phone.”</p><p>“Right,” Fenton said. “Wait, you track my phone?”</p><p>“Babe, please,” Drake said. “I track <em> everyone’s </em> phones.”</p><p>Fenton rolled his eyes. </p><p>“Okay, it looks like she’s on the pier,” Drake said. “I swear to god, if she cut class to go to the arcade—”</p><p>“That doesn’t sound like her though,” Fenton said.</p><p>The faint sound of Drake’s phone getting a text came from the other end of the line. </p><p>“What was that?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“Mallory, she has the location of the Jewel of Atlantis,” Drake said. “She says you’re not... oh, god.”</p><p>“Gosalyn got the text,” Fenton said. “She’s trying to stop this before it happens.”</p><p>“Why would she do that?” Drake said.</p><p>“Because no one knows what’s going to happen to Lena if we fail,” Fenton said. “We need to move, now.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Gosalyn slipped into Funso’s. The building was pitch black and silent— not even the arcade was going. She held her hockey stick in front of her and fumbled through the dark, swinging the stick in front of her like a cane.</p><p>At the center of the room, in a cleared area, was the Jewel of Atlantis. It was placed on a makeshift pedestal. She walked towards it and stepped on something she couldn’t see. Something metal. </p><p>The machine whirred to life. Light shot out of it, taking the shape of an old wizard in blue robes. Gosalyn gasped, jumping back, but the wizard did not move. She reached out and her arm went right through him. </p><p>“It’s a hologram,” she whispered.</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>Magica stepped out of the shadows. </p><p>“How else would I fool the Macawber girl?”</p><p>“Lena said you <em> hate </em> tech,” Gosalyn said. </p><p>“I do,” Magica said. “But that Beaks... <em> thing</em>, he gives special rates to those who are trying to <em> really </em> screw over your dads.”</p><p>Gosalyn gasped and gripped her stick tight.</p><p>“Oh, please, you think I don’t keep track of my niece’s friends?” Magica said, walking towards her. “See, you’re the <em> special </em> one. The way she talks about you and looks at you? Ugh! It’s sickening.”</p><p>Gosalyn backed up, clutching her stick, but Magica grabbed her by the front of her hoodie and lifted her off the ground.</p><p>“But you’re also the <em> violent </em> one,” Magica said quietly. “Not like the little pink friend with her special spy training. You’ve seen real violence, it <em> courses </em> through your veins. Does it make you feel powerful? Knowing that you want my head dashed across the floor, the blood pooling under my hair as I take my last gasps of life?”</p><p>Gosalyn’s breaths were short and she looked away. </p><p>“Oh, what’s the matter?” Magica asked. “Worried someone’s going to think you’re just a bit too much like <em> daddy</em>?”</p><p>Gosalyn sneered and shoved her away, dropping to the floor.</p><p>“You do <em> not </em>get to talk about my father.”</p><p>“Is that so?” she asked.</p><p>"What are you even doing here?" Gosalyn said. "You have no magic, you can't so anything with this."</p><p>Gosalyn gestured to the jewel.</p><p>"There is magic one can do without inherent ability," Magica said. "This ritual will more than restore what is rightfully mine. And there's really nothing you can do to stop me?"</p><p>"Wanna bet?"</p><p>Gosalyn swung her hockey stick at Magica’s head. Magica caught it, wrenching the stick out of her hands. </p><p>“Did you really think I’ve never had someone swing something at my head before?” Magica asked. “No one’s coming for you. Your precious Justice Ducks are tearing each other apart, and—”</p><p>Gosalyn snorted, starting to laugh.</p><p>“What are you— what is it?”</p><p>“Sorry,” Gosalyn said, still laughing. “Sorry, just... I know you’re trying to threaten me and all, but... why do you think they’d be fighting?”</p><p>“Well, Morgana—”</p><p>“Flipped on you like a pancake,” Gosalyn said. “Well, really, she flipped on <em> Merlock</em>, but if that was you the whole time? Talk about ‘great and powerful’. Pay no attention to the duck behind the pizza stand!”</p><p>“The potion—”</p><p>“Oh, that got cured <em> days </em>ago,” Gosalyn said, starting to pace around the jewel. “Now, granted, that's caused it's own issues, but they're pretty solid. And it's not like this is the first time they've ever had a fight.”</p><p>“They don’t know where you are!” Magica hissed. “They don’t know that you’re here!”</p><p>“My dads are Darkwing and Gizmoduck,” Gosalyn said. “You think they can’t figure out how to track a phone? You haven't noticed that I'm not trying to escape? My dad was a supervillain and my mom is a mad scientist. I'm not in here with you, you're in here with <em>me</em>.”</p><p>Outside, Darkwing and Morgana joined Paperinik and Lena on the pier.</p><p>“Where is everyone?” Drake asked.</p><p>“They’re on their way,” Donald said. “But I don’t know how much time we have. Gosalyn’s inside?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Drake said. </p><p>“The eclipse will begin soon,” Morgana said. “We cannot wait for Merlock to begin draining the magic in Duckburg.”</p><p>“That’s not an option,” Lena said. “But why would he be <em> here</em>?”</p><p>The sky turned dark as the moon started to pass in front of the sun. A beam of light shot down from the sky and broke through the roof of Funso’s. </p><p>“Gosalyn!” Drake ran in the building.</p><p>“Guess we’re going in now,” Donald said.</p><p>The beam of light ended at the Jewel of Atlantis. Drake saw Gosalyn had fallen on the floor and ran to put himself between her and the jewel. Magica stepped into the light and put a hand on the jewel. The light surrounded her and blasted outwards. When the light faded, the building had been destroyed. The sky turned red as the eclipse drew towards totality. Magica’s feathers had turned green and her hands glowed violet with power. She started to laugh.</p><p>“Oh, I am <em> back</em>!”</p><p>Lena, Morgana, and Donald ran up to the wreckage. </p><p>“You’re still here?” Magica said.</p><p>“I stopped you once,” Lena said. “This time? I’m going to <em> end </em> you.”</p><p>“And I suppose your little friends are going to help?” she asked. “That’s adorable.”</p><p>She lifted her hand and shadows jumped from the ground and restrained the three of them. Lena cried out in pain. Shadows curled around the jewel as it slowly turned black. </p><p>“What’s she doing?” Drake asked.</p><p>“She’s... draining their power,” Gosalyn said.</p><p>Magica walked over to Lena and grabbed her chin.</p><p>“What did you think was going to happen?” she asked softly. “That you were <em> magically </em> going to turn yourself into the white knight and rush over to save the princess? Tell me, Lena, how will you fight me without your magic?”</p><p>A handful of cherry bombs went off at her feet. She jumped back. Gosalyn hit her in the side with her hockey stick. Magica turned to face Gosalyn and Darkwing.</p><p>“We seem to manage,” Darkwing said. </p><p>He tackled her, forcing her to the ground. She blasted him back. He scrambled to his feet and she swung at him, violet fire trailing from her hands. </p><p>Gosalyn helped Lena beat back the shadows restraining her. When they fell away, Lena held Gosalyn tightly. </p><p>“We have to free the others,” Gosalyn said.</p><p>“It’s no use, she’ll just trap us again,” Lena said. “We’ve got to stop this at its source.”</p><p>"You do that, it's gonna overload," Gosalyn said.</p><p>Lena nodded. "I know."</p><p>Magica slashed across Darkwing’s chest, breaking through the nano-armor. She saw Lena running to the jewel with her dagger. </p><p>“No!”</p><p>She sent a blast at Lena. Gosalyn intercepted, swinging her stick like a bat and sending it back at Magica, knocking her over.</p><p>In the sky, the eclipse reached totality. Lena sunk her dagger into the jewel and it started to shake. </p><p>“Gosalyn, get back,” Lena said. </p><p>“I’m not going anywhere,” Gosalyn said. </p><p>“I’m not arguing with you,” Lena said. </p><p>She swung around and held out her staff.</p><p>“Zettashield!” </p><p>A milky white orb surrounded Lena and the jewel, knocking Gosalyn back. A blinding light filled the orb.</p><p>“Lena!” Gosalyn yelled.</p><p>Drake pulled Gosalyn back. The shadows restraining Donald and Morgana dissipated.</p><p>“We have to get her out of there,” Morgana said. </p><p>“Even at full power, I couldn’t break through that,” Donald said. </p><p>The wind whipped around the debris as the light faded and the shield dropped. A large pair of iridescent black wings unfolded as Lena stood up. Her right arm was covered in spiked crystal the same color as the jewel had been. Her robes had changed to white and gold. Her eyes glowed with a piercing light as she stared Magica down.</p><p>“I am <em> done </em> being scared of you,” she said.</p><p>She beat her wings once and the wind knocked Magica over. She picked her dagger up off the ground and walked over. She raised the knife.</p><p>Gosalyn caught her arm. </p><p>“Lena, <em> please</em>,” Gosalyn said. “My dad... he was never the same. I can’t let that happen to you.”</p><p>The glow faded from Lena’s eyes as her face softened. </p><p>“I can’t let her hurt my friends again,” Lena said.</p><p>“We’re not going anywhere,” Gosalyn said.</p><p>The knife clattered on the ground. The sky cleared as the moon moved past totality. Magica scrambled to her feet and started to run, running right into Gizmoduck. </p><p>“Going somewhere?” he asked.</p><p>“It’s about time,” Darkwing said. “PK here almost died.”</p><p>Donald blinked. “Why are we friends again?”</p><p>Morgana approached Lena and Gosalyn. “What about Merlock? Did he get away?”</p><p>“He was never here,” Gosalyn said. “Magica had a hologram, she was behind it the whole time.”</p><p>Morgana sighed. “I feel like an idiot.”</p><p>“She has that effect on people,” Lena said. “But I think there is something I can do for you now.”</p><p>Lena touched the ruby pendant on Morgana’s neck and took a deep breath.</p><p>“Dispell.”</p><p>A white light swirled around Morgana as she transformed. She grew about a foot and her feathers turned green as grey streaks appeared at her temples. Morgana sighed, smiling.</p><p>“It’s... nice to be myself again,” she said. “Thank you.”</p><p>Lena nodded.</p><p>“Donald, she can give you your magic back too,” Gosalyn said. </p><p>“Right...” Donald said. “Let me get back to you on that.”</p><p>Della and Launchpad took Magica into SHUSH custody. Drake approached Gizmoduck.</p><p>“What took you guys so long?” Drake asked.</p><p>“Shadows were popping up all over Duckburg,” Fenton said. “We did the best we could to contain it, but it all just suddenly... stopped when the eclipse reached totality.”</p><p>“That was Lena,” Drake said. “She... kinda stabbed the Jewel of Atlantis.”</p><p>“Oh, is that all?”</p><p>Drake shrugged. "Magic, man."</p><p>Lena looked over her new wings. Gosalyn ran her hands over the feathers.</p><p>“We’re... still on for tomorrow, right?” Lena said.</p><p>Gosalyn looked over at Darkwing and Gizmoduck.</p><p>"I'm not grounded, am I?" she asked.</p><p>Drake sighed. "No, you're not grounded."</p><p>Gosalyn shrugged looking back at Lena.</p><p>"I'm free."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. No Mistake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"It's a date<br/>Make no mistake about it"<br/>— DuckTales, "It's A Date"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>Friday Evening</em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Fenton answered the knock at the apartment door. Lena wore dark pants and a white tank top with a leather jacket.</p><p>“Hey, Lena,” Fenton said. “Gosalyn’s still getting ready, why don’t you come in?”</p><p>“Okay,” she said.</p><p>She stepped in the apartment and took off her jacket. There were black feathers covering her shoulders and back where her wings hid themselves. The spikes were gone, but her right arm was still made of blue crystal past the elbow.</p><p>“What ended up happening to Magica?” Lena asked.</p><p>“SHUSH brought her in,” Fenton said. “Morgana and Mr. McDuck are working to make a facility strong enough to hold her now that she’s got her magic back.”</p><p>“I see,” Lena said, nodding. </p><p>“She’s not going to hurt you again,” Fenton said. “We’re making sure of that.”</p><p>In the bathroom, Drake held an ice bag to Gosalyn’s head. She was wearing a button down shirt with a vest and had found the one pair of jeans she owned without any rips or holes.</p><p>“What did I say when I bought you the curling iron?” Drake asked.</p><p>“Ask before using it so I don’t burn myself,” Gosalyn muttered.</p><p>“That’s right,” Drake said. “Now, let’s look at the damage.”</p><p>He moved the bag of ice. The layer of feathers under her hair were mussed and the skin was red, but her hair was mostly fine.</p><p>“Is it bad?” Gosalyn asked.</p><p>“We’re going to have to amputate,” he said. “No, you’re fine, it’ll just be a little sore.”</p><p>He took her brush and pulled it through her hair.</p><p>“Why were you trying to curl your hair anyways?” Drake asked. “I thought you were just going to a movie.”</p><p>“Oh, um... yeah,” Gosalyn said. “I just wanted to try it, you know?”</p><p>Drake paused. “So, who’s going to be at the movie?”</p><p>“Um, Lena,” Gosalyn said. “And, uh...”</p><p>“Okay, you’re almost 14, you need to learn how to lie to your parents better,” he said. </p><p>“I just thought you’d freak out,” she shrugged.</p><p>“Gos, this is totally normal,” Drake said. “I don’t want you to be nervous about asking someone out because you’re afraid of what <em>I’ll</em> think.”</p><p>“Right,” she said. </p><p>Drake stepped back. “You okay with how this looks?”</p><p>Gosalyn looked herself over in the mirror. “Yeah, it works.”</p><p>She turned around and hugged him.</p><p>“Thanks, Uncle Drake,” she said. </p><p>He hugged back. “I’m here for you.”</p><p>Gosalyn ran out to see Lena. Lena stood up.</p><p>“Hey,” she said. “You ready?”</p><p>“Yep,” Gosalyn said. “You, uh...”</p><p>Lena looked at the black on her shoulders and quickly put on her jacket. “Oh. Yeah, um...”</p><p>“I like it,” Gosalyn said.</p><p>Lena laughed nervously. “Thanks.”</p><p>Gosalyn looked back. “Okay, we’re headed out now!”</p><p>“Be back by 11,” Fenton said. “And no caffeine after 8, <em>pollita</em>.”</p><p>“Have a good time,” Drake said. </p><p>Gosalyn took Lena’s hand and they left for the evening.</p><p>“You know, Drake, I was joking with your sister that you were going to freak out over this, but I must say you’re taking this very—”</p><p>“When the <em>hell</em> were you going to tell me this was a date?”</p><p>“There it is,” Fenton said.</p><p>“She’s a kid!” Drake said. He gripped the edge of the kitchen counter like his legs were going to give out.</p><p>“She’s <em>thirteen</em>,” Fenton said. “I was her age when I asked out Darcy from 3rd period History. I mean, she turned me down, but—”</p><p>“When did this happen?” Drake asked.</p><p>“I dunno, pretty recently,” Fenton shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one that gave her the Talk.”</p><p>“I did not give her <em>the</em> Talk, there are at least 12 different Talks that she’s going to get between now and college, I am <em>not</em> claiming all of them. And I am <em>definitely</em> letting Mallory do some of them.”</p><p>“Got it out of your system now?” Fenton asked.</p><p>“And they’re by themselves, what if something happens?” Drake asked.</p><p>“Lena’s kind of a god at this point,” Fenton said. “I think they can handle it. Now, we have, by my count, four hours all to ourselves. Della’s helping Morgana with her first night on shift. Gandra’s at the lab, so Gyro’s covered. I already stolen your phone, turned it off, and hid it—”</p><p>“What if—”</p><p>“And I told Gosalyn that if she needs to call, she can call the landline,” Fenton said. “No real work, no hero work, no kids, we don’t even have to talk about the wedding.”</p><p>Fenton put his arms around Drake’s shoulders. </p><p>“So what might we do with four, <em>completely free</em>, hours of time?” he asked, his voice low.</p><p>Drake smirked. “I can think of a few things.”</p>

<hr/><p>
  <em>Six Months Later</em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Donald walked into the Money Bin lab. Fenton was at the supercomputer.</p><p>“Hey,” Fenton said. “What’s up?”</p><p>“Nothing much,” Donald said. “Are Gyro and Gandra around?”</p><p>“Yeah, we’re finishing up an AI project today,” Fenton said. “Anything specific? Maybe I can—”</p><p>“Mallory asked me to be go-between for... wedding stuff,” Donald said. </p><p>“Ah,” Fenton said. “Coordinating the bachelor parties.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t spoil the surprise,” Donald chided, grinning.</p><p>“Donald, I’m getting married in a <em>week</em>,” Fenton said. “It’s not really that much of a surprise.”</p><p>“Fair enough,” Donald said. “So what AI are you working on?”</p><p>“Something we found in HQ,” Fenton said. “Gandra found it really.”</p><p>Donald’s face fell. “Oh?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s this really advanced tech,” Fenton said. “Far beyond what we’ve been doing here, but at <em>least</em> 20 years old.”</p><p>“Is that so?” Donald said.</p><p>“Okay, everything’s set!” Gandra called from behind the platform. </p><p>“Come on!” Fenton said.</p><p>Donald followed Fenton and saw exactly what he was afraid he’d see. A glass orb on a computerized stand, but now attached to a barrel-shaped body with arms and a wheel for movement. Gyro flipped a switch and the orb seemed to fill with a green liquid, a head appearing in the center. The face didn’t look that much older than the triplets. Its eyes blinked open and it saw Donald.</p><p>“PK!” he yelled, wheeling over to Donald and hugging him. “Look, I have arms now!”</p><p>“Y-yeah, you do,” Donald said. “That’s great, Uno.”</p><p>“You guys know each other?” Gandra asked.</p><p>“I used to use the headquarters for Paperinik stuff,” Donald said. “Uno here was... he was my partner.”</p><p>Uno blinked, looking up. “How long has it been, PK?” </p><p>“It’s... it’s been a while, bud,” Donald said.</p><p>Uno looked down. “Aye-yi-yi...”</p><p>“Fenton and I need to do some diagnostics,” Gandra said. “I’m guessing you’re here about the thing?” </p><p>“Yeah, I can wait,” Donald said. “Actually, Gyro? Can I talk with you for a moment? <em>Now</em>?”</p><p>“Um, yeah,” Gyro said.</p><p>The two walked away and Gandra looked at Fenton. “What was that about?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Fenton said. “But that was the ‘my uncle can make your life a living hell’ voice, so it must be serious.”</p><p>Donald and Gyro went into the bathroom and Donald grabbed Gyro and pinned him to the wall.</p><p>“What the <em>fuck</em> have you done?” Donald growled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another one shot on Wednesday, and another break after that as I finish the last piece in this series. In addition to the things not yet come to pass in the list at the end of "Comparing Your Past To My Future", here's what to look out for:</p><ul>
<li>Donald takes charge.</li>
<li>Mallory gives Drake a wedding gift.</li>
<li><i>“Welcome to the team,” Drake said. “Megavolt.”</i></li>
<li>Gyro uses some of that FOWL training he was brought up with</li>
<li>Gosalyn talks about what she wants to be when she grows up.</li>
</ul>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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